NATHIAGALI

Nathiagali, clad in Pine, Walnut and Oak Maple trees,

is the most picturesque hill station in the Pakistan. From Nathiagali one take many short strolls through the pine forests.

Those who are more adventurous can take a longer trek to climb the top of Mukshpuri, which is 2800 meters high.

The real enthusiasts can walk up a track starting from the Governor’s House to the top of Miranjani Hill (2960 meters high), a beautiful trek that takes 6 to 7 hours both ways.

MURREE HILLS

Murree is great city of Pakistan. People from all over the country come here to see its beauti, specially in the season of Summer. Its situated near capital city of Islamabad.



Murree is a hill station, full of natural ceneries, greenary. It is a cold city, even sometimes with in summer one need to use blanket. Famous places are Mall and Kashmir Point.



There are some other places in the sorrounding to view, including Bhorban, Nathya Gali, Ghora Gali, Ayubia, Pathreyata etc. I think everybody should visit Murree to see the natural beauti of Pakistan.

SHALIMAR GARDEN,LAHORE

Built in 16th Century by Shahjehan the greatest patron of Architecture It was used as the Royal pleasure Garden by the Moghuls during 16th to 19th century. In 1818 It saw its worst days when it was destroyed by the Sikh ruler Ranjit sing and was used as stable. During English times (1842- 1947) It regained its value as the Garden and was open to Public. After English the Garden was restored by the Pakistan Government and it in use today as popular hang out site.

The Garden had beautiful fountains run with the help of camels now runs occasionally withth electric motors. It has a huge fortification wall around it built during Moghul times.

NATIONAL MONUMENT

National Monument or Pakistan Monument is built on the West View Point of Shakar Parrian Hills. The monument can be viewd from all vantage points of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It is designed by an eminent architect Mr. Arif Masoud, and was completed in March 2007. The Monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country and also depicts the story of Pakistan Movement and it is dedicated to the people of Pakistan who sacrificed their today for a better tomorrow. It gives a beautiful view of the city at night.

HARAPPA

The Harappa site was first briefly excavated by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1872-73, two decades after brick robbers carried off the visible remains of the city. He found an Indus seal of unknown origin.



The first extensive excavations at Harappa were started by Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni in 1920. His work and contemporaneous excavations at Mohenjo-daro first brought to the world's attention the existence of the forgotten Indus Valley civilization as the earliest urban culture in the Indian subcontinent.



His work was followed later in the decade by that of Madho Sarup Vats, also of the Archaeological Survery of India. M.S. Vats first excavated the "Granary," and published the results of his and Sahni's excavations in 1940. Excavations by other archaeologists continued in the 1930's, and in 1946 Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavated the so-called fortification walls and found the first pre-Indus Valley civilization (Kot Dijian) deposits.



After independence, Harappa was excavated by Mohammed Rafique Mughal of the Archaeological Survey of Pakistan in 1966. In 1986, the first systematic, multi-disciplinary excavations of an Indus Valley city were begun by the Harappa Archaeological Project (HARP), under the direction of George F. Dales and J. Mark Kenoyer. These excavations, now also co-directed by Richard H. Meadow, have continued almost every year since then.

There is an enormous amount still to be learned about the site, most of which remains unexcavated. The earliest deposits on the site go back to 3300 B.C. and the area seems to have been continuosly inhabited ever since. Archaeologists think that ancient Harappa was the urban center dominating the upper Indus region, much like Mohenjo-daro dominated the lower Indus Valley and Ganweriwala might have been the urban center for what is now Rajasthan.

NOOR MAHAL,BHAWALPUR

The Noor Mahal (Urdu: نور محل)is a palace built in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, at a time when modernism had set in.

A Night view of the Noor Mahal BahawalpurThere are various stories regarding its construction. According to one belief, Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV had the palace made for his wife. However, she was there for one night, only as she happened to see the adjoining graveyard from her balcony, and refused to spend another night there and so it remained unused during his reign.



Noor Mehal is one of the hidden gems of Bahawalpur, since not many know about it and its not open to public. It is currently in possession of Army and is used as state guest house and for holding state durbars and meetings with foreign delegations. Not being open to public is the reason why Noor Mahal is still in perfect shape. Even the interior Victorian furniture is still in great shape.



You can however visit the place if you have an army relative and even then an army personal will follow you everywhere in the palace while you are there.



Upon entering the palace you still get the aroma of Nawab rule and the legacy. The construction of Noor palace was undertaken by Nawab Subah Sadiq the fourth, who was also known as the Shan Jahan of Bahawalpur for his passion of constructing beautiful buildings. Mr. Hennan; an Englishman who was the state engineer designed the building. Foundation of Noor Palace was laid in 1872. The map and coins of the state were buried in its foundation as good omen. Most of the material and furniture was imported from England and Italy and construction of the palace was completed in 1875 at a cost of Rs. 1.2 Million. Noor Palace has a covered area of 44,600 square feet. It has 32 rooms including 14 in basement, 6 Verandas and 5 domes.



The design encompasses features of Corinthian and Islamic styles of architecture with a tinge of sub continental style. Corinthian touch is visible in the columns,balustrade,pediments and the vaulted ceiling of Durbar Hall. The Islamic style is evident in the five domes whereas, the angular elliptical shapes are a stroke of subcontinent style. Nawab Muhammad Behawal Khan the fifth, added a mosque to the palace in 1906 at the cost of Rs. 20,000. The design is based on the mosque of Aitcheson College.



The palace was originally built for residential purposes, according to rumors when the nawab’s begam came to the palace, she saw a graveyard out of one of the windows and decided that she won't stay here.



In 1956, When Bahawalpur State was merged into Pakistan, the building was taken over by the Auqaf department. The palace was leased to Army in 1971 who later acquired it in 1997 for a sum of 119 million.



The building was later declared a “Protected Monument” in September 2001 by the Department of Archeology, Government of Pakistan and it is now open for general visitors, students trips and other interested persons.

HIRAN MINAR

The Hiran Minar, built during the reign of Jahangir & Shah JahanHiran Minar is set in peaceful environs near Lahore in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. It was constructed by Emperor Jahangir as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deer.



The structure consists of a large, almost-square water tank with an octagonal pavilion in its center, built during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan; a causeway with its own gateway connects the pavilion with the mainland and a 100-foot (30 m)-high minar, or minaret.



At the center of each side of the tank, a brick ramp slopes down to the water, providing access for royal animals and wild game. The minar itself was built by Emperor Jahangir in 1606 to honor the memory of a pet hunting antelope named Mansraj.



Unique features of this particular complex are the antelope's grave and the distinctive water collection system. At each corner of the tank (approximately 750 by 895 feet (273 m) in size), is a small, square building and a subsurface water collection system which supplied the tank; only one of these water systems is extensively exposed today.



Another special feature of Hiran Minar is its location and environment: the top of the minar is perhaps the best place in the province of Punjab to get a feel for the broader landscape and its relationship to a Mughal site.



Looking north from the top of the minar, one can see a patch of forest which is similar to the scrub forest vegetation of Mughal times, while to the west are extensively-irrigated fields, a product of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but similar in size and appearance to the well-irrigated fields of the Mughal period.

MOHENJO-DARO,SINDH

Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-daro*

UNESCO World Heritage Site



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State Party Pakistan .



Mohenjo-daro (lit. Mound of the Dead, Sindhi: موئن جو دڙو/मूअनि जो दड़ो [muˑənⁱ ʥoˑ d̪əɽoˑ]) was one of the largest city-settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization of south Asia situated in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BCE, the city was one of the early urban settlements in the world, existing at the same time as the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete. The archaeological ruins of the city are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is sometimes referred to as "An Ancient Indus Valley Metropolis"

Mohenjo-daro was built around 2600 BCE and abandoned around 1500 BCE. It was rediscovered in 1922 by Rakhaldas Bandyopadhyay [1], an officer of the Archaeological Survey of India. He was led to the mound by a Buddhist monk, who believed it to be a stupa. In the 1930s, massive excavations were conducted under the leadership of John Marshall, K. N. Dikshit, Ernest Mackay, and others.[2] John Marshall's car, which was used by the site directors, is still in the Mohenjo-daro museum, showing their struggle and dedication to Mohenjo-daro. Further excavations were carried out in 1945 by Ahmad Hasan Dani and Mortimer Wheeler.



The last major excavation of Mohenjo-daro was conducted in 1964-65 by Dr. G. F. Dales. After this date, excavations were banned due to damage done to the exposed structures by weathering. Since 1965, the only projects allowed at the site have been salvage excavation, surface surveys and conservation projects. Despite the ban on major archaeological projects, in the 1980s, teams of German and Italian survey groups, led by Dr. Michael Jansen and Dr. Maurizio Tosi, combined techniques such as architectural documentation, surface surveys, surface scraping and probing, to determine further clues about the ancient civilization.[3

SHONTAR LAKE.NEAR NEELUM VALLEY

Ansoo Lake is a high-altitude lake (elevation 13,540 feet or 4,126 metres) in the Kaghan Valley in the Mansehra District of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is near Malika Parbat in the Himalayan range.

It can be reached by a difficult trek from Saiful Mulook Lake and requires physical and mental fitness. If one chooses to walk it takes more than eight hours for a round trip starting from lake Saif ul Muluk. The trek is covered with snow in most parts of the year. The best time to trek is from 25 July to 30 August. The optimal time to set off for the lake is around 09:00 in the morning. Horses can also be hired from the Lake Saif ul Muluk along with a guide person who will take you to Ansoo Lake. It costs almost PKR 800-1000 per horse but one still has to walk more than 50% of the distance himself. Another trek to reach Ansoo Lake is from Mahandri, which is 40 km below Naran, but this is a less trod route and the difficulties are unknown. The name "Ansoo" comes from its tear-like shape (the Urdu word Ansoo means teardrop). The lake is said to have been discovered in 1993 by Pakistan Air Force pilots who were flying low above the area. Earlier, the lake was not even known to the locals.

BADSHAHI MOSQUE,LAHORE

The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.



The construction of the mosque took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.



From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.



In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.



Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex, which contains relics of Muhammad, his cousin, and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.

SHAHI QILA,LAHORE

The Lahore Fort is locally known as Shahi Qila is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Lahore in Pakistan. The fort is located in the northwestern corner of Lahore, adjacent to the Walled City. Some of the famous sites worth seeing in the Shahi Qila are Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. The fort is 1,400 feet in length and 1,115 feet in width. The fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens in 1981.



Lahore fortress is contemporary to Agra Fort and is based on the same formal organization. The Shahi Qila is distinguished by strong Persian stylistic influences, as well as the Hindu influences also apparent at the Agra and Delhi forts. Though many revisions have been made to the fort yet the scheme of the Mughals seems to have been preserved.



The high outer walls of the Shahi Qila are decorated with blue kashi tiles of Persian origin. The fort has two distinct sections - the private palatial section and the administrative section. The residential section of the fort is arranged in courts along the northern half of the fort and is accessed by the Hathi Pol, or 'elephant gate'. The northeastern section of the fort includes red sandstone buildings. It is the oldest part of the residences, and was built during the time of Akbar.



The Bari Khwabgah, or 'large bedroom' in the Shahi Qila is attributed to Jahangir. Later, Shah Jahan built Choti Khwabgah, in white marble, an addition to the fort. The Mussaman Burj, Naulakha Pavilion, and the Shish Mahal, known as the 'hall of mirrors', also built by Shah Jahan. These are the examples of the ornate architecture in fine white marble work that he brought to the Fort.



The more public, administrative section of the fort is organized in a layer that conceals the private one. The Shahi Qila in Lahore accessed from the Alamgiri Gate. This gate was built by Aurangzib and it leads into the large courtyard of the Diwan-i-Amm, or hall of public audience. The Fort or the Shahi Qila also contains gardens and a mosque.

K2 MOUNTAIN

The K2 Mountains have a dangerous reputation in the mountain-climbing world. Known as the “Savage Mountain,” it is one of the world’s most difficult mountains to ascend. The savagery of this mountain is due to the fact that it has the 2nd highest fatality rate among the ‘eight thousanders’ mountain ranges, only to be surpassed by the Annapurna Mountains, which has been climbed during winter. K2 is so dangerous to climb, no one has attempted to climb it in the winter.

If you think you are up to the rush K2 offers, don’t worry. There are a lot of climbing groups, tours, and guides that do a number of routes on K2. These routes differ in difficulty of ascent and character, so you have to consider your mountain-climbing skills. Nobody climbs the K2 by just “winging it.” The difficulties remain the same though, starting with the lack of oxygen and extremely high altitudes. The weather is pretty much unpredictable, which adds to the difficulty. As for the routes, you can choose from the most popular – the Abruzzi Spur, the most commonly used and standard ascent route; the Northeast Ridge, among others. There are other ascent routes that start from the Chinese side of the mountain. Experience a different adrenaline rush and an ultimate adventure by heeding the call of K2, one of the most majestic mountains in the world.

LAKE SAIF-UL-MALOOK

Saiful-Maluk is one of the most beautiful lakes . Its five mile away from Naran at height of 10,500 feet (3200.40 meters) above sea level. This lake is easily accessible by jeep or by trekking. In case you wanna trekk, one needs around two hours. I also opted for trekking and it was fun. There is a huge glacier on the way , crossing its also fun.

Talking about the lake, its almost impossible to describe the beauty. I can never forget those moments that I spent at lake Saiful-Maluk. I never wanted to come back from this beautiful lake but thunderstorm with heavy rain forced me to go back early. I would suggest you to take meals along with you and go to lake in morning. You should spend good time there and have meals along the lake.





The Queen of the Mountains "Malka Purbat" peak at height of 17,360 feet (5291.33 meters) is standing in the east and looking at her image in the mirror of Lake Saiful Maluk. Saiful Maluk is blue water lake in shape of bowl. Water from surrounding glaciers, lakes, and peaks fallsin this lovely lake.Boating facility is available but not recommended at all because this lake is so deep that so far its depth could not be measured. There is no emergency equipment availale so don't take the risk!





There are few camping sites available and I would strongly recommend you to camp here beacuse Saiful-Maluk really deserves it. There are small huts and shops near lake selling items you may need.

SHAH FAISAL MOSQUE , ISLAMABAD

Shah Faisal Mosque

This beautiful mosque was designed by a renowned Turkish Architect, Vedat Dalokay and named after late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is spread over 1,89,705 sq, meters with 88 meters high minarets and 40 meters high main prayer hall. The main prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 persons while the covered porticoes and verandahs can take over 24,000 worshipers. The main courtyard has space for 40,000 people.

MINAR-E-PAKISTAN

Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan (Pakistan Day Memorial) is a minaret which was made to commemorate the day when the Pakistan resolution was passed on March 23, 1940. The main tower of this memorial was completed on March 22, 1968. The location was originally known as Minto Park. It was here that the historic session of the All-India Muslim League was held on March 23, 1940.



In 1960 the Muslim League leaders impressed upon the local authorities the need for building a memorial. The governor of West Pakistan, Akhtar Hussain, issued an appeal to the public for contributions for constructing the memorial. He also constituted a memorial committee and a memorial fund for collecting donations from philanthropists. Murat Khan, a Turkish architect, designed the memorial. The governor laid the foundation stone of the memorial on March 23, 1960. The tower took about eight years to complete, at an estimated cost of Rs. 500,000.



The tower rises above a platform shaped like a five-pointed star. The terrace is three feet from ground level, the platform's height is about six feet, and the star platform is about 12 feet high. It is surrounded by two crescent-shaped pools, four feet deep and lined with green and red marble. The tower has a spring shaped hall spanned by arches. The rostrum facing Badshahi Mosque is a quadrant constructed with Mughal patterned tiles. The circular diameter of the tower is 320 feet. The petals, 30 feet high, look like a blooming flower. The total height of the structure is 203 feet from ground level. On the marble slabs of the central shaft are inscribed a brief history of the Pakistan Resolution in English, Urdu and Bengali, the 99 names of God and poetic verses from Allama Iqbal. The tower has 10 vertical covering slabs interlaced with flower petals and glazed cement domes, with a sightseeing platform and a central spiral staircase.



The design of the base and the first four platforms depict the history of the Pakistan Movement through architectural symbols. Rough stones and cement have been haphazardly laid representing the chaotic conditions and the lack of direction in the early stages of the freedom movement of the Indian Muslims. The stones used for the first platform are rough Taxila stones. Hammer-dressed stones are used on the second platform. On the third platform are laid chiselled stones, while the fourth and final platform is of highly polished marble, symbolizing the ultimate success of the freedom movement.



The dome is of stainless steel inlaid with fine glass pieces. Up to the dome there are four stages spread over 162 stairs. The best and encompassing panoramic view of Lahore and the citadel is obtained by using the elevator which takes you all the way up to the top of the tower. The park is a popular recreational spot for Lahorites who congregate there in large numbers. It is often used for holding large public meetings. The locality of the memorial has been highlighted with well planned parks. Eight marble fountains on the main access add to the beauty of the memorial, emitting watery rainbows with the help of multicolored lights.