Lahore Travel Guide

 Lahore has been the capital of the Mughal Empire and of that of the Sikhs.

Lahore is located near the only border crossing with India that is currently open, in the Pakistani part of the Punjab. While you will see many Sikhs on the Indian side of the border, here the people are almost all Muslim.  Lahore is regarded as  the heart of Pakistan and also the heart  and mind of The Punjab. It is both educational and cultural capital of Pakistan and only  two  and half hours  away from  Harrapa the oldest  civilized  city of the world. Lahore is perhaps the continuation of the  north part of the Great Indus valley civilization

The climate of Lahore is very healthy and salubrious. Except for some days in summer Lahore is a pleasant place to live. There are two main seasons, namely the winter and the summer. The monsoons are at their peak during July and August, and during these two months there is more than half of the annual rainfall.

 

Lahore is the capital of the Punjab province of Pakistan and is one of the oldest cities of the world. Many believe its history goes back Mahabharata and many others believe that Lahore was established by Loh or Lava, the son of Rama, the renowned hero of the Hindu epic the Ramayana. However, others believe it derives from the word loh-awar, which means a fort as strong as iron and which refers to the fort built to protect the city.
Lahore is on the bank of River Ravi. Lahore has played a significant role in the region. It has been the capital of Punjab province for almost a thousand years. The city first achieved this status during the Ghaznavid dynasty (977–1187). It continued as such under the rule of Muhammad of Ghor as well as under several sultans of Delhi . Qutb-ud-din Aibak became the first Muslim sultan in the area after being crowned in Lahore in 1206. From 1524 to 1752, the Mughal dynasty (1526–1857) raised the level of prominence of Lahore by adding considerably to its architecture and size. Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) was responsible for overseeing the construction of the Lahore Fort, which was built over an old fort. In addition, he had a red-brick wall with twelve impressive gates constructed around the city. Shah Jahan (1592–1666) and Janhangir (reigned 1605–1627) contributed palaces, tombs, and gardens to the city landscape and enlarged the fort. The last great Mughal, Aurangzeb, had the famous monument the Badshahi Mosque built along with the Alamgiri gateway to the fort.
The eighteenth century witnessed constant invasions throughout the region, which laid Lahore open to capture by Ranjit Singh (reigned 1801–1839) in 1799. His control over Lahore afforded him the legitimacy that he needed to become emperor. Unfortunately, the Sikh era was not kind to Lahore ; the existing structures were not well maintained, and few new ones were built. When the British arrived in Lahore in 1849, they initially constructed practical facilities for the administration of the capital. Later, however, they worked to preserve some of the ancient structures and eventually added their own Victorian style of architecture, named Mughal-Gothic, to the city.

Although most parts of the Royal Fort were constructed around 1566 A.D. by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great, there is evidence that a mud fort was in existence here in 1021 A.D. as well, when Mahmood of Ghazna invaded this area. Akbar demolished the old mud fort and constructed most of the modern Fort, as we see it today, on the old foundations. The Royal Fort is rectangular. The main gates are located alongside the centre of the western and eastern walls. Every succeeding Mughal Emperor as well as the Sikhs, and the British in their turn, added a pavilion, palace or wall to the Fort. Emperor Jehangir extended the gardens and constructed the palaces that we see today in the Jehangir?s Quadrangle, while Shah-Jehan added Diwan-e-Khas, Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) and his own Sleeping Chambers. Aurangzeb built the impressive main gate which faces the Hazoori Bagh lying in between the Badshahi Mosque and the Fort. The Famous Sheesh Mahal or Palace of Mirrors is in the north-east corner of the Fort. This is the most beautiful palace in the Fort and is decorated with small mirrors of different colours set. The part of the wall of the Elephant Steps towards the Fort?s inner gate are scarred by bullet marks, bearing testimony to the Sikh Civil War of 1847 A.D. The Sleeping Chamber of Mai Jindan houses a very interesting museum with relics from Mughal and the Sikh periods.

Interacting with Locals, Never ask them to guide you toward your direction, because upto 90 % they lead you the wrong way... Visit to the city is a must,,,, You'll find lots of historic places there,,, some include the famous Badshahi Mosque,, Pakistan Monument,,, Sheesh Mehal,, Shahi Bagh,,, Jhangir's Tomb,,, and the list goes on...