In South Asia, between India in the east and Afghanistan in the west, the modern state of Pakistan is located. The sights of this country are the most diverse. These are fortresses and mosques, ruins of ancient cities, interesting museums and numerous natural sites. Pakistan is still poorly studied by tourists, but this makes it even more attractive and colorful.
General Country Information
Pakistan is an Asian state that gained independence in 1947. His name is artificial, it was proposed by an Arab student at Cambridge University.
Modern Pakistan is a federation of four provinces. At the head of the country is the president, who must be a Muslim. Sunni Islam is recognized as the state religion. Pakistan has the sixth largest armed force in the world. The army, by the way, has great authority in the political arena in the state, which was formed during several wars with India and other regional conflicts.
About 200 million people live in Pakistan today. Largest cities: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad. The capital is the city of Islamabad.
Modern Pakistan is an industrial-agrarian power, in the structure of the economy of which agriculture occupies an important place. Hydropower and light industry are also very developed here. Pakistani culture is based on rich Muslim traditions. True, the era of centuries-old British domination left its mark on it.
Pakistan: 9 interesting facts
Many of us know almost nothing about Pakistan. We bring to your attention nine facts about this country, which cannot but surprise:
- Pakistan is the world leader in bagpipes and soccer balls.
- The most popular sports here are cricket and field hockey.
- In the south, Pakistan has a fairly wide access to the Arabian Sea, but almost all the beaches here are dirty, sparsely populated and not well-groomed.
- Pakistan is one of the most faithful countries in the world (the number of Muslims here exceeds 96%).
- In this country, it is difficult to meet women on the streets (women leave the house extremely rarely, and even then only accompanied by men).
- Facebook and YouTube are banned in Pakistan, but access to porn sites is unlimited.
- The state is very strict: in these cities you will not find street music, dancing and other noisy entertainments.
- Entrance to Pakistan is prohibited to those tourists who have ever visited Israel.
- “Pigeon mail” is very well established in the country, however, birds do not deliver letters, but drugs.
Pakistan, attractions: photos and a list of the most visited places
The number of travelers who want to visit this little-known country, only increases every year. And this is not surprising. The color, deep traditions, delicious cuisine and various sights of Pakistan attract tourists who are already fed up with traditional European routes.
Numerous historical and architectural monuments are located in the largest cities of the country - Karachi and Lahore. Listed below are the most visited attractions in Pakistan (the list includes the 10 most popular tourist destinations):
- Lahore fort.
- The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro.
- Mausoleum of the Djinn.
- Gardens of Shalimar.
- Faisal Mosque.
- Badshahi Mosque.
- Fortress Baltit.
- Hannah Lake.
- Palace Nur Mahal.
- Freer Hall Cathedral.
Jinn's Mausoleum in Karachi
Perhaps the mausoleum of the Jinnah can be called one of the main symbols of the Pakistani people. After all, it was built in honor of Mohammed Ali Jinn, the father of Pakistani statehood. It was thanks to his efforts and unique political instinct that this state appeared. The mausoleum is a massive building made of white marble 43 meters high. The founder of the nation was buried inside him. Hundreds of Pakistanis visit the grave of Jinnah daily.
What other attractions of Pakistan can be distinguished?
Mohenjo Daro - “Dead City” in Sindh Province
Mohenjo-Daro is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Literally, this name translates as "the hill of the dead." Mohenjo-Daro is the remains of the ancient city of Indian civilization, which was founded another 2.5 thousand years BC. The perimeter of the ancient city reaches five kilometers.
Why Mohenjo Daro ceased to exist, no one really knows. Archaeologists have established that the city was abandoned by its inhabitants abruptly. In this regard, scientists began to put forward various theories of his death. According to one of them, the cause of the desolation of the city was the invasion of the Aryans, according to another, Mohenjo-Daro was empty due to frequent floods. There are absolutely fantastic hypotheses, right up to the landing of alien ships at this place .
Faisal Mosque
The sights of Pakistan are, first of all, beautiful mosques. One of them is located in Islamabad. This is the Faisal mosque, which is ranked as the largest in the world. Externally, the structure resembles a huge tent that can accommodate up to 300 thousand people!
The construction of the mosque lasted ten years under the leadership of a Turkish architect, but at the expense of Saudi Arabia. The shrine was named after King Faisal of the state sponsor of the construction. Faisal Mosque is especially picturesque at night, when its walls and minarets are buried in bright lights.
Baltit Fortress
Sights of Pakistan are not only mausoleums and mosques. So, in the city of Karimabad, the monumental fortress Baltit has been preserved. It was built in the eighth century. The fort is a three-story building on top of a hill. Arms and ammunition depots were previously located on the ground floor, and there was an observation point on the second floor. On the third floor there were equipped rooms for rest, as well as the reception of foreign delegations.
In the 1990s, work began on the restoration of the fort. Today, this monument is a contender for inclusion in the UNESCO Heritage List.
Lahore (Pakistan): sights and historical monuments of the city
Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan, the first mention of which dates back to the tenth century. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country, practically near the border with India. According to demographics, almost 10 million people live in the Lahore metropolitan area. The city has a number of interesting sights and historical monuments. Among them are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are the gardens of Shalimakh and the Badshahi mosque. In addition, tourists are attracted by the Museum of Arms, Jallo Natural Park and other interesting places.
The Badshahi Grand Mosque was built in the 17th century and can accommodate up to 50 thousand believers. The building has eight minarets, the highest of them reach a height of 62 meters. The size of the inner courtyard of the shrine is 159 by 527 meters. The scale of the construction is really impressive - it is the second largest mosque in the state of Pakistan.
What to see in the mosque itself? There is a small museum that is known for its valuable Islamic relics. In particular, in the Badshahi mosque you can see the first Sura of the Koran, the turban of Muhammad, as well as an imprint of his foot.
The second most famous attraction of Lahore is the gardens of Shaliham. They were erected in 1642 at the direction of the emperor Shah Jahan. The gardens are located on three terraces and are decorated with ponds, waterfalls and mosaic elements. Another outstanding historical and architectural monument in the city is the Lahore Fort, built in the middle of the 17th century. Inside the fortress, masterpieces of Mughal architecture - the Pearl Mosque and the Mirror Palace - have been preserved. During their construction, an exotic material was used - Aleppo glass.
Finally…
A curious, unusual and very controversial country is Pakistan. Many call it an artificial public entity. Indeed, this power appeared on the world map only in 1947 due to the collapse of the British Empire. Earthlings have extremely poor knowledge of modern Pakistan, although tourists and travelers are more and more interested in it.
The main attractions of Pakistan are Lahore Fort, Nur Mahal Palace, Faisal and Badshahi mosques, Baltit Fortress. In addition, there are many interesting natural sites. For example, Lake Hannah or a safari park in Karachi annually attracts a large number of tourists.