Re: City of the Month...LAHORE!!
11.Daata Durbar (The Giver’s Pavilion): Data Durbar is the tomb of Hazrat Syed Abul Hassan Bin Usman Bin Ali Al-Hajweri, the famous Sufi saint of Iran . Hundreds of thousands of people come each year to the Durbar to pay their respects, say their prayers and make wishes. The Durbar also features Sufis dancing in a trance to Sufi music…it is truly a sight to behold. The large arena also includes Jamia Hajveria, or Hajveri Mosque. The Durbar is a must-see to experience the devotional/musical aspect of Islam.
12.Anderoon-E-Shehr (The Inner City): The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the " Old City" is the section of Lahore that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era. The Walled City of Lahore covers an area of 256 ha with a population of 200,000. The ancient and picturesque streets of the inner city remain almost intact. The Walled City has 13 gates which included ; Akbari Gate, Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Masti Gate, Mochi Gate, Mori Gate, Roshnai Gate, Shahalmi Gate, Shairanwala Gate, Taxali Gate, and Yakki Gate. All of these gates survived till 19th Century when the British, to derfortify the city, demolished almost all of the gates except Roshnai Gate. After that, some were rebuilt except for Delhi Gate and Lohari Gate as simpler structures. Shahalmi Gate was burnt to the ground during the roits of 1947 while Akbari Gate was also demolished for repairs but was never rebuilt . Today only 6 out of 13 gates survives which are: Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Roshnai Gate and Shairanwala Gate. Nevertheless, visiting the old city is one of the best ways to experience the ancient history of the city!
13. Heera Mandi (The Diamond Market) (The Red Light District): Thisarea is also known as Shahi Mohalla (Royal Neighborhood) due to its proximity to the royal quarters of the Mughals and was the center of the city's ‘Tawaif’ or courtesan culture in the Mughal era. The beautiful women here offer traditional and classical dances called ‘Mujras’ in addition to prostitution services. Heera Mandi is located in the northwest corner of the Walled City of Lahore, next to Roshnai Gate, Badshahi Masjid, Lahore Fort, and Hazuri Bagh. During the day the place is much like other Pakistani baazars and is also known for its good food, khussa (shoes) and the shops for musical instruments.
14. Minar-e-Pakistan (The Tower of Pakistan): **The Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall concrete unique minaret in Iqbal Park . It is about 60 meters high. It is officially recognized as the National Monument of Pakistan . This is the site where on March 23,1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan , the Muslim League passed the ‘Lahore Resolution’, which is now referred to as the Pakistan Resolution. This was the first official declaration to establish a separate homeland for the Muslims living in the subcontinent. Pakistan now celebrates this day as a national holiday each year. The base of this tower is raised approximately four meters from the ground. It rises approximately 13 meters, forming a sculpted, flower-like base. From this point, it tapers as it rises. The base platform is shaped like a five-pointed star and it encloses crescent shaped pools. The tower is constructed of reinforced concrete, with the floors and walls rendered in stone and marble. It is a beautiful monument.**
15. Mazaar-E-Iqbal (Tomb of Allama Iqbal): **The Tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is located in the Hazuri Bagh Lawn in the area where the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort face each other. The tomb is rectangular in shape and has two gates, one at the eastern and the other at the southern side, inlaid with marble. The grave is built of white marble. The tombstone is made of lapis lazuli and inscribed with Quranic verses in calligraphy. The tomb took thirteen years to build. The architecture reflects a combination of Afghan and Moorish styles and is entirely constructed of red sandstone. Iqbal was one of the major inspirations behind the Pakistan Movement, and is revered in Pakistan as Muffakir-e-Pakistan (The Thinker of Pakistan) or Shair-e-Mashriq (The Poet of the East). Iqbal died on April 21, 1938 in Lahore at the age of 60. The recently renovated Lahore airport has been named after him as Allama Iqbal International Airport . Hundreds of visitors come to the tomb every day to pay their respects to the poet-philosopher.
16. **Iqbal** Park (formally ' Manto Park '): This is a large and lush green space **accommodating Minar-e-Pakistan.
17. Bagh-e-Jinnah (Jinnah's Garden): **This is a historical park formerly known as Lawrence Gardens . The lush and large green space contains a botanical garden, a mosque, and a gorgeously constructed Jinnah library situated in a Victorian designed building. There are also entertainment and sports facilities within the park including an open-air theatre, a restaurant, tennis courts and the Gymkhana Cricket Ground. It is located on Lawrence Road next to Lahore Zoo, directly across from the Governor's House on The Mall. The park also has a tomb of a Shiite ' Sufi known as Baba Turat Muraad Shah which attracts a heavy number of visitors.
18. **Hazuri Bagh ( Hazuri Garden ): **This is a historic garden which has the Lahore Fort’s Alamgiri Gate on its Eastern side, the Badshai Mosque on its Western side, the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh on its Northern side and the Roshnai Gate on its Southern side. The Hazuri Bagh Baradari (Huzuri Garden Pavilion), built by Ranjit Singh, stands in the center of all this architectural greatness. This garden was built by Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1813 to celebrate the capture of the famous Koh-i-Noor ( Mountain of Light) Diamond from Shah Shujah of Afghanistan . The Sera-I-Alamgiri (The Alamgiri Inn) formerly stood here. The garden was planned and built under the supervision of Faqir Azizuddin. After its completion, Maharajah Ranjit Singh allegedly ordered that marble be removed from various mausoleums of Lahore to construct a baradari (pavilion) here. This task was given to Khalifa Nooruddin. Elegant carved marble pillars support the baradari’s delicate cusped arches. The central area, where Ranjit Singh held court, has a mirrored ceiling. Both the garden and the baradari, originally a 45-foot, three-storey square with a basement approached by fifteen steps, suffered extensive damage during the Sikh wars and was only reclaimed and laid out according to the original plan during the British period. On 19th July, 1932, the uppermost story collapsed and was never reconstructed. Every Sunday afternoon, people gather in the gardens to hear people recite traditional Punjabi Qisse (Punjabi romantic legends or folk lore), such as Heer Ranjha and Sassi Punnun, and other Punjabi Sufi poetry. **The tomb of Muhammad Iqbal lies within the garden.
19. Aitchison** College** **: **This is a magnificently built semi-private boys' boarding university-preparatory school. Aitchison College is the lineal descendant of the wards’ School at Ambala and the Chiefs’ Colleges. The college sprawls on a gorgeous 186 acre campus. Aitchison College was established on November 3, 1886, when the cornerstone of the school was laid by Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, at the time Governor-General of India. The college was named after Charles Umpherston Aitchison, lieutenant governor of the Punjab at the time of the college's establishment. Starting off as a purely boarding school with one main teaching block, the college has evolved into a renowned institution with a multitude of facilities. Please note that there is no public access to the college so it is best to have a drive around the campus to enjoy its beauty.
20. **The Lahore Railway Station: **The Lahore Railway Station was built by the British and is a fine example of British colonial architecture. The railway station has 11 platforms and Platform No. 1 has special significance as this platform is the destination of ‘Samjhota Express’, or ‘The Compromise Express’, the train service between Pakistan and India . The same train also leaves for India from the same platform. The railway network established by the British was very extensive and is one of their lasting contributions to the infrastructure of this region.