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LAHORE
The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasise the uniqueness of their town say “Lahore is Lahore”. The traditionall capital of the Punjab for a thousand years, it has been the cultural center of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi. This pre-eminent position it holds in Pakistan as well. Lahore is a city of poets, literateurs, artists, wrestlers, colleges and some of the finest gardens in the sub-continent. The ancient legend says, it was founded by Loh, son of Rama Chandra, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
The people
of Lahore, when they want to emphasize
the uniqueness of their town say
"Lahore is Lahore". The
traditional capital of Punjab for a
thousand years, it had been the cultural
center of Northern India extending from
Peshawar to New Delhi. This preeminent
position it holds in Pakistan as well.
It is
located near the river Ravi and the
Indian border, at 31°34′N 74°20′E
(31.560000 North, 74.35000 East). It has
a population of 6.5 million and the
second largest city in Pakistan and
considered to be the 24th largest city
of the world.
Lahore is known as the cultural center
of the Pakistan and it has vast array of
historic buildings and gardens from the
pre-historic, Mughal and British
periods.
The Data
Durbar of Hazrat Syed Abul Hassan Bin
Usman Bin Ali Al-Hajweri is the most
widely visited and venerated place for
the natives and represents pre-Mughal
times’ architecture. Mughal architecture
can be seen in the Badshahi Mosque,
Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens. While
the Lahore Museum and Lahore High
Court’s buildings represent British
architecture.
Map of Lahore
Geography & Climate:
Lahore city is bounded on the north
and west by the Sheikhupura district, on
the east by India and on the south Kasur
district. The river Ravi flows on the
northern side of Lahore. Lahore covers a
total land area of 404 km.˛
Lahore witnesses extremes climates
during the months of May, June, and
July, while temperatures soar to 45–50
Celsius and it is the hottest time of
the year. The summer leads into the
monsoon which brings heavy rainfall
throughout the city and province as
well.
While December, January and February are
the coldest months when temperatures
drop to 0 −1 degree Celsius
Government and administrative
division:
The Lahore district comprises nine
administrative towns and one separate
military cantonment but there are also
some historic neighborhoods of Lahore.
Administrative towns:
· Aziz Bhatti Town
· Ravi Town
· Shalimar Town
· Wagah Town
· Data Ganj Baksh Town
· Gulberg Town
· Allama Iqbal Town
· Samanabad Town
· Nishtar Town
Other neighborhoods:
· Gawalmandi
· Qila Guger Sing
· Johar Town
· Faisal Town
· Model Town
· Lahore Cantonment
· Township
· Green Town
· Garden Town
Demographics:
According to the 1998 census 86.2%, or
6,896,000 of the population are
Punjabis, 10.2% or 816,000 are Muhajirs.
There are known to be more than a
million Pashtun in Lahore probably about
15% of the population. Finally, the
Seraikis at 0.4% number about 32,000.
Sites of interest:
Lahore is famous as being the cultural
center of Pakistan, every nook and
corner of Lahore has a rich history and
cultural importance. However following
historic sites and buildings are must if
one visits Lahore.
· Badshahi Masjid
· Lahore Fort (Sheesh Mahal, or Palace
of Mirrors)
· Azeri Bagh
· Mausoleum of Muhammad Iqbal
· Data Sahib (Data Darbar)
· Shahi Mohalla
· Mina-e-Pakistan
· Anarkali
· Chauburji
· Lahore Museum
· Gawal Mandi
· Ichhra
· Shalimar Gardens
· Shahdara
· Shimla Pahari
Walled city of Lahore:
The Walled City of Lahore, also known as
the Old City or Anderoon Shehr is the
section of Lahore which was fortified by
a city wall during the Mughal era. Much
of the wall remains intact today.
The thirteen fabled gates of Lahore
are:
· Akbari Gate
· Bhati Gate
· Delhi Gate
· Kashmiri Gate
· Lohari Gate (also known as 'Lahori
Gate')
· Masti Gate
· Mochi Gate
· Mori Gate
· Roshnai Gate
· Shahalmi Gate
· Shairanwala Gate (the lion’s gate)
· Taxali Gate
· Yakki Gate
Festivals and celebrations:
As Lahore is known as the cultural
center of Pakistan, therefore it has
rich and special flavor of its own. The
Laborites are generally known in
Pakistan as the Zinda Dilan Lahore owing
to their liveliness and flare for
celebration. Here are some celebrations
and festivals celebrated in Lahore.
· Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha
· Basant
· Independence Day
· Lahore marathon
· Mela Chiraghan
· National Horse and Cattle Show
Major universities and colleges:
Lahore is considered one of the most
open-minded and enlightened cities of
Pakistan and is the home of most of the
prominent educational institutions. A
list of premier education institutions
in the city of Lahore is given below:
· University of the Punjab
· University College of Information
Technology (PUCIT)
· University of Central Punjab
· University of Engineering and
Technology, Lahore
· Government College University
· Aitcheson College
· Lahore University of Management
Sciences
· Lahore Grammar College for Women
· Lahore College for Women University
· Superior University Lahore
· Lahore School of Economics (LSE)
· COMSATS Institute Of Information
Technology
· University of Lahore
· National University of Computer and
Emerging Sciences (formerly FAST)
· King Edward Medical College
· Forman Christian College
· Iqra University
· Allama Iqbal Medical College
· National College of Arts (NCA)
· University of Management and
Technology
· Minhaj University, Lahore
· Institute of Management and Sciences
· Kinnaird College for Women
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