Muzaffarabad

Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir and is situated near NWFP, Pakistan. River Jehlum and river Neelum flow in its vicinity. The local language spoken here is Hindko.The city is surounded by lofty mountains which provide a fascinating scene to the onlookers. The city is visited frequently by local and foreign tourists.

In ancient times Muzaffarabad was the capital of Shahi dynasty, that ruled most of the Kabul valley and the ancient Gandhara, and was called Udabhanda. The recent name was given to it by its ruler Muzaffar Khan. The city was made the capital of Azad Kashmir after the 1948's war between Pakistan and India. On October 8, 2005 Muzaffarabad was hit by a disastrous and violent earth quake measuring 7.6 on Richter Scale.

Here are some of the beautiful places of Pakistan:

Red Fort:
This glorious fort was built by emperor Muzaffar Khan in 1646. Later on the Dogra rulers reconstructed it. In the Durani and Moughal reign, however, it was neglected. The architecture of the fort shows that great experts in design and structure participated in its construction. It is surrounded on three sides by theNeelum River formally known as the Kishenganga River. The northern part of the fort had terraces with steps leading to the bank of the river. The eastern side was very well protected from the hazards of flood waters, but some parts on the north side have suffered damage. There used to be an inn at the entrance to the fort, but only traces of that structure remain now.

Shaheed Gali:
Shaheed Gali is situated at the height of 1640 meters above sea level at a distance of about 16 kilometers westward from Muzaffarabad. From Shaheed Gali a trek of 4 Kms leads towards a spot namely "Sri Kot". A tourist is bound to be fascinated by the serenity for the backdrop of the area. A tourist Rest House is available for accommodation at Shaheed Gali.

Pir Chinassi:
Pir Chinassi is located eastward of Muzaffarabad. Due to its scenic beauty, velvet green plateaus and wonderful climate, it wins admiration of nature lovers. The view of the summit of the mountain peaks spell bounds a tourist. Devotees of Saint Shah Hussain Bukhari, take pilgrimage to rejuvenate their adust heart. The adjacent Pirchinassi, phawna da Danna and the areas in the bottom of Pirchinassi are also worth seen and ideal for hiking, trekking and camping activities. Tourism Department has also constructed a tourist lodge at Saran.

Other Places:
Other places include Patikka, Chehla Bridge, Kundle Shahi and Chikkar.

Buses and minibuses make the scenic journey regularly from Islamabad (4-5 hours). If you're self-driving, the route via Muree is probably the quickest. Kohala is the entry point into Azad Kashmir, where you'll need to get through a checkpoint. On own transport you need 40-50 minutes to reach Murree. Then 2 hours to reach Kohala Bridge and 30 minutes to reach Muzaffarabad. Approximately its 3 and half hours on you own car. You can adopt the route Islamabad - Abbottabad - Mansehra - Gari Habibullah - Muzaffabad as well.

River Jehlum

Historic bridge near River Neelum

Muzaffarabad

Murree

The word Murree has been derived from “Murhi” meaning “a high place”. It is a hill station situated along the Islamabad-Kohala highway, 30km away from Islamabad at the border of Punjab and Azad Kashmir. It is a very popular summer resort due to its cool and chilly climate. In winter the city hides itself in a thick blanket of snow. An American journalist Camile wrote, that,

"Everything and Anything can happen in Murree. Romance is in the atmosphere; intrigue is in the air. The roads to this happy holiday's resort embrace both the heaven and earth. In Murree it is easy to fall in love"

Murree was founded by Sir Henry Lawrence in 1851 as a sanatorium for British troops deployed along the Afghan border. A proper town was built in 1857. The town also served as the summer head quarters of Punjab local government till 1876. During the war of independence of 1857 the local tribes of Murree, under the command of Sardar Shehbaz Khan and Malik Nawab Bahadur Khan, fought against the British army. After considerable loss, the British army had to sign an agreement with the local Abbasi tribe. But this agreement was ignored by the British who regained control of the town. Afterwards a number of English officers settled here permanently and raised families.

The most beautiful places in Murree include:

• Kashmir Point


• Pindi Point - a chairlift runs up to here


• The Mall - the main strip with shops, hotels and restaurants.


• Lawrence College & Church


• Many locals believe that Mary, mother of Jesus, is buried in Murree and that the town is named after her (formerly Mari). Her supposed tomb sits on a hill underneath a television tower. Locals can point you in the right direction. You may need special permission to visit.

Taxis and buses run from Islamabad, and take about 1 hour. It is a picturesque drive and has a few well developed tourist spots at Charra Pani and Company Bagh. The Chattar water park is only 15 minutes outside Islamabad. There is also an alternate but longer route to Murree from Islamabad via Nilore and Simli Dam. The alternate route joins at Lower Topa. The mountain drive is refreshing and the scenery is breath-taking especially on the Nilore-Simli-Lower Topa route.

Murree remains charming all year round.

Beautiful Blue Sunset

Chairlifts in Patriata

Murree: Top View

Thatta

The historic town of Thatta is situated at a distance of 100km (60 miles) from Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan. Population is about 22000. The biggest lake of Pakistan known as the Keenjhar Lake is also present in it's proximity. People from all over Pakistan come here to see the monuments and tombs present here. A number of these monuments are on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The history of Thatta dates back to the 14 century when it was the capital of Lower Sindh region. Later on during the reign of Soomro tribe, Thatta was made the capital of whole of Sindh. From 1592 to 1739 it remained under the Moughal throne. Then in 1739 Nadir Shah, the reckless ruler of Persia, occupied it. Following are some remarkable places of this city:

Shah Jehan Mosque:

Moughal empror Shah Jehan, also known as the builder king due to his architectural intellect, built this mosque in 1674. The mosque has been built with red bricks and blue colored glazed tiles. It has 33 arches, 100 domes and no minaret. It is regarded as the largest mosque in the world with such number of domes and has been built in such a manner that sound of Imam can be heard in every corner of the mosque without any loud speakers. On the whole the mosque, with it's combination of red and blue, looks like an enormous Mosaic!

Makkli Hills:

Makkli is a burial place covering an area of 8km diameter. It started from the shrine of fourteenth-century Sufi, Hamad Jamali. Gradually the cemetery grew around the shrine and it became one of the largest necropolises in the world with the graves of some 125,000 Sufi saints. Imperial mausoleums are also present in the cemetery which are divided into two major groups, those from the Samma (1352–1520) and Tarkhan (1556–1592) periods. The tomb of the Samma king, Jam Nizamuddin II (reigned 1461–1509), is an impressive square structure built of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric medallions. Similar to this is the mausoleum of Isa Khan Tarkhan II (d. 1651), a two-story stone building with majestic cupolas and balconies. In contrast to the syncretic architecture of these two monuments, which integrate Hindu and Islamic motifs, are mausoleums that clearly show the Central Asian roots of the later dynasty. An example is the tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan (d. 1600), a typical octagonal brick structure whose dome is covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles.

Tomb of Prince Ibrahim Bin Mirza

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

Karachi, The City of Lights.

With an area of 3,530 km² (2,193 sq mi) Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan and the 20th largest city in the world. It is also regarded as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Upon the independence of Pakistan it was made capital of the country. These days it serves as a major sea port, financial capital, center of social and educational activities and the capital of Sindh province. Being the birth and death place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah it is respected by every Pakistani and due to the same reason it is known as "The City of Quaid". Karachi has been ranked as Beta World City, as of 2008. People from all over Pakistan visit Karachi to get higher education and for better employment.

In the past Karachi was visited by Alexander the Great who camped here for some time and prepared a fleet for the conquest of Babylonia after conquering Indus Valley. The Greeks used various names for the city including Krokola and Morontobara. In 712 the Arab commander Muhammad-bin-Qasim, in his early twenties, entered the Indus Valley through this port and fought with the armies of Raja Dahir. Raja was defeated and Sindh along with Karachi and it's port came under the control of Arabs. The Arabs called it Debal. The present city started life as a small fishing town found by Balochis. In those days it was called Kolachi. Soon it became a center of commerce and trade links were developed with Muskat and Persian gulf. A small fort was constructed for its protection, armed with cannons imported from Muscat. The fort had two main gateways: one facing the sea, known as Kharra Darwaaza (Brackish Gate) (Kharadar)and the other facing the Lyari River known as the Meet'ha Darwaaza (Sweet Gate) (Mithadar). The location of these gates correspond to the modern areas of Kharadar (Khārā Dar) and Mithadar. In 1839 British took over the fort and afterwards in 1843 British army annexed whole of Sindh. In 1864 the first telegraph line was laid between Karachi and in 1878 the city was connected to the rest of British India via rail. At last in 1947 it became a part of Pakistan.

Karachi is locally called "The City of Lights" and the night view of the city is truly magnificient. The highest building of Pakistan, Habib Bank Plaza, is also present here. The most remarkable places and tourists attractions include Clifton, Empress market, Mohatta palace, Tomb of Quaid-e-Azam and the Chaukandi tombs.

The Mohatta Palace

Chaukandi tombs

Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the third largest city of Pakistan and one of the oldest cities of Sub-continent. The city was regarded as “The Paris of Hindustan” before the partition (1947). Hyderabad also served as the capital of Sindh province. It is situated at a distance of 110 km from pre-Harappan Amri. It is one of the most exiting places in the world for Paleontologists and Archaeologists.

The history of Hyderabad dates back to the days when Ganjo Takan (Barren Hill), a nearby hill-tract, was used as a place of worship. In ancient times it was known as Neroon Kot named after its hindu ruler Neroon. In 1768 the city was re-built by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro and later on his son Sarfraz Khan adorned it. Ghulam Shah also built the fort Pacco Qillo (The strong fort). Later on the Talpur rule began. The Indus river changed its course and Mir Fateh Ali belonging to Talpur dynasty shifted the capital from Khudabad to Hyderabad. He used Pacco Qillo for his residence. In 1943 the British fought with the Talpur rulers to gain control of the city. British army successfully did so and the Talpur rulers had to flee. In 1947 upon the partition of Sub-continent Sindh was made a part of Pakistan.

The tourist attractions of the city include Pacco Qillo, Kacha Qilla, Amri, the monuments of Talpur and Kalhora rulers and the beautiful bazars of city. Hyderabad is connected to all the major cities of Pakistan via rail, road and air. Hyderabad has always been a place of political turmoil and unrest due to which the ancient buildings are in a desolate state. Immediate attention is required to preserve this asset.

Pacco Qillo

Lahore

Lahore, the city found by Loh the son of Rama about five thousand years ago, is called ”The City of Gardens” or ”The Garden of Moughals”. It has been the capital of some of the most glorious empires of the past. Ayaz made it the capital of Ghaznavid Empire while the Moughal emperors Akbar and Jehangir used the city as the capital of Moughal Empire which consisted of almost whole of sub-continent. Lahore also served as the capital of Punjabi Empire ruled by Ranjit Singh.

Lahore is the capital of Punjab province and is situated near the river Ravi. Today it serves as the center of all cultural activities and is recognized as the cultural heart of Punjab. The native language spoken here is Punjabi. Being a mixture of Urdu and pure Punjabi it is also termed as Lahori Punjabi. With a population of 10 million people it is the second most populous country of Pakistan, 5th amongst all the South Asian cities and 26th in the world. Following are some of the most exciting places in Lahore:

Badshahi Mosque:

Badshahi mosque, the second largest mosque of Pakistan (Faisal mosque being the first),can accommodate up to 10000 worshipers at a time. It was constructed during the reign of Moughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgeer. It is also regarded as the fifth largest mosque in the world. The Moughal rulers had a special interest in calligraphy, therefore eye catching patterns of the Quranic verses can be seen on the walls of Badshahi mosque.

Masjid Mahabat Khan:

Masjid Mahabat Khan, located inside the walled city, was built by Mahabat Khan a powerful general of Moughal army. It was built in the 17th century during the reign of Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb Alamgeer. The beauty and splendor of the Mosque tells us about the religiosity and architectural taste of the Moughal Emperors and statesmen. The mosque is rectangular in shape, has two main minarets, a number of smaller minarets and is spread over an area of 30,155sq feet.

Food Street

In Lahore a whole bazaar has been dedicated to food lovers. Known as the food street, it is situated near the Anarkali bazaar. Food lovers from all over Pakistan come here and enjoy various types of traditional dishes. The market remains open through out day and night, and whole of the year except during the holy month of Ramadan. Being one of the largest food markets in Asia it is regarded as a unique tourist attraction.

Shahi Qila:

The ancient fort, known as the Shahi Qila (Royal Fort), is situated on the north western side of the city. Its existing structure was built by Akbar, the great Moughal empror of sub-continent.

Shalimar Gardens:

Shalimar gardens were built by Shah Jehan. They have been built in the shape of an oblong parallelogram. The gardens have three terraces built on the top of one another and 410 fountains.

Other Buildings:

The architectural marvels of British era include the GPO building, GC university and Lahore Railway Station. Among modern buildings the Lahore Museum is remarkable.

View Larger Map

Multan; The City of Saints

The ancient city of Multan is known as “The City of Saints” due to the large number of Sufis and shrines belonging to the city. It is situated near river Chenab, in Punjab province of Pakistan and is the capital of Multan district. The population of district is about 4 million.
During the famous Mahabharata war Multan was the capital of Trigarta empire. The ancient name of the city was Kashtpur. The recent name (Multan) has originated from the word Mitrasthana. It came under Muslim rule in 712 A.D when Muhammad Bin Qasim, at the age of 17, annexed Sindh. Before this annexation a Muslim general Mohlab also conquered the city in 664 A.D but this capture was not permanent. It also remained a part of Ghaznavid empire, Moughal empire, Durrani empire and the Punjabi empire ruled by Ranjit Singh. After the Anglo-Sikh war the British took over the city. Finally in 1947, upon the independence of Pakistan, it became a part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Following are a few of the most exciting places of Multan:

Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam:

One of the most remarkable shrines in Multan is the tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. The tomb is an architectural marvel from the Pre-Moughal era. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the Sub-continent visit the shrine and pay homage to the saint. The dome of this beautiful building is the second largest in the world. The tomb was built by Ghias-ud-din Toughlak for his own self but after his death his son handed it over to the descendants of Shah Rukn-e-Alam.

Tomb of Yousaf Shah Gardezi:

The mausoleum of Yousaf Shah Gardezi is rectangular, domeless and decorated with glazed tiles. Shah Yousaf converted a number of locals to Muslims and according to a legend he arrived in Multan about nine hundred years ago, riding a lion, all the way from Gardez (Afghanistan).

Other Places:

Other beautiful places include Sun temple, shrine of Baha-ud-din Zikria Multani, shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed and the Suraj temple.