Islamabad

Islamabad is the capital and one of the most beautiful and modern cities of Pakistan. It is the tenth largest city of Pakistan with respect to area while in terms of population it is third largest. It is located in the Potohar Plateau in the north of the country. It was built in 1960s during the reign of Ayub Khan. Before Islamabad, Karachi was the capital of Pakistan. It is also regarded as one of the most well planned cities of South Asia and has been ranked as a Gamma World City, as of 2008.

This area was first inhabited by the Aryan community. It was present at one end of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization about 5000 years ago. Also, the armies of Alexander and Genghis Khan passed through this region. In the recent past a small town known as Saidpur was present here.

There were a number of reasons due to which capital was shifted from Karachi to Islamabad. Firstly Karachi was vulnerable to attacks from the sea whereas Islamabad is situated 750 miles inland. Secondly such a capital equally distant from all the major parts of the country was required. Other reasons include a better climate and its nearness to GHQ Rawalpindi.

Famous tourist attractions of the city include Shakar Parian Hills, newly constructed National Monument, the fascinating Heritage Museum, and the huge marble Shah Faisal Mosque, a unique example of modernist Islamic architecture, are the major highlights of the city. Faisal Mosque was constructed on the suggestion of King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz. With the area of over 5000 square meters and a capacity of over 300,000 worshipers, it is the biggest mosque in Pakistan and one of the biggest in the world. The newly constructed Lake View Park alongside Rawal Lake has become a favorite picnic spot in the city. The model village of Saidpur is also worth seeing. In short the city is a fascinating tourist attraction.

Faisal Mosque