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Lahore has 6.5 million inhabitants and thus the second biggest city in Pakistan. It is considered to be the 38th biggest city of the world. When the Indian subcontinent received independence in 1947, Lahore became the capital of West Punjab province, later known as Punjab province. In 1955 it was made the capital of the newly created West Pakistan province, which was reconstituted as Punjab province in 1970. Punjabi is the language of the province, and is the most widely spoken language in Lahore. Punjabi spoken by the people of Lahore is known as Lahori Punjabi due to a mixture of Punjabi and colloquial Urdu spoken in Lahore. Lahore has 9 Towns and iid Union Councils. M. Omer is the current City Mayor (Nazim).
Lahore city is
bounded on the north and west by the Sheikhupura District, on the east by
India and on the south Kasur District. The Ravi River flows on the northern
side of Lahore. Lahore city covers a total land area of 1,772 km² (684 sq.
mile), but the
city is still growing at a considerable rate. The city lies between 31°15′
and 31°45′ North latitude and 74°01′ and 74°39′ East longitude.
Its elevation is 217 m (712 ft). According to the 1998 census 86.2%, or 6,896,000 of the population are Punjabis, 10.2% or 816,000 are Muhajirs. There are known to be more than a million Pashtun refugees in Lahore (the vast majority of whom are settling), probably about 15% of the population. Finally, the Seraikis at 0.4% number about 32,000. Many languages are spoken in Lahore, including Punjabi, Urdu and English.
Some of the old names of Lahore can be observed as:
Lahore is a very
festive city, the people of Lahore celebrate many traditions throughout the
year, with blending of moghal, western and latest trends. As Lahore has
large muslim population, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha are celebrated in full
swing with various concerts held in the city. Many people decorate their
houses and light candles to light up the streets and houses.
The old city was at one time surrounded by a wall and a moat, but these structures have been replaced, except in the North, by a garden. A circular road around the rampart provides access to the old city by 13 gates. Within the old city are found the mosque of Wazir Khan (1634) and the northern wall of Lahore Fort. Other old-city landmarks include the impressive Badshahi (Imperial) Mosque, built by Aurangzeb; Ranjit Singh's buildings and mausoleum; the Shahdara Gardens, containing the tomb of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and his wife Noor Jehan; and the magnificent Shalimar Gardens, laid out east of the city in 1641 by Shah Jahan and consisting of about 80 acres (32 hectares) of terraced gardens containing numerous fountains.
The Allama
Iqbal International Airport Lahore is one of the most accessible cities of
Pakistan. In addition to the historic Grand Trunk Road (G.T. Road), a
motorway was completed in 2000, from Lahore to Islamabad. Due to Lahore ever
increasing traffic problems the Government introduced many underpasses to
ease congestions and prevent traffic jams. According to official figures,
Lahore has the highest number of underpasses in Pakistan, due to an attempt
by the government to link one end of the city to the other end. however,
Lahore still has very high levels of air pollution and smog, which can
accumulate over days due to Lahore having little precipitation throughout the
year. this is also due to the industry growing at a a dizzying rate in
Lahore, with lots of factories opening all the time. Lahore consists of an old city area flanked on the south by newer commercial, industrial, and residential areas that are in turn ringed by suburbs. An important educational centre, Lahore is the seat of the University of the Punjab (1882), which is the oldest university in Pakistan. Also located in Lahore are the Faisal Shaheed University of Engineering and Technology and numerous colleges and institutes. Lahore is a leading commercial and banking centre and it also contains about one-fifth of Pakistan's industrial establishments. Textiles are the single most important industry, but there are many rubber factories, as well as iron, steel, and other mills. It is also noted for gold and silver handicrafts. Railways and air services link Lahore with other major cities of Pakistan. more details Lahore has 14 sister cities (aka "twin towns"): (Alphabetically Listed) q Belgrade, Serbia (2007) q Chicago, Illinois, United States (2007)
q
Córdoba,
Spain (1994) q Fez, Morocco (1994) q Fresno, California, USA
q
Glasgow,
Scotland, United Kingdom (2006) source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahore
Nai Reesan Shehar Lahore Diyan
Lahore Time Zone: GMT +5 hours
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Category:
Lahore
(My home city)
Little
is known of the history of the settlement prior to the Muslim period.
Hindu legend attributes the founding of Lahore to Lava, or Loh, son of Rama (the hero
of the Hindu epic Ramayana),
after whom it is said to have been named Lohawar. It was the capital of the
Ghaznavid dynasty from 1152 to 1186. The city became Muslim when
Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in 1206 and thus became the first Muslim
Sultan of the subcontinent. During the 14th century the city was repeatedly
attacked by the Mongols, and from 1524 to 1752 Lahore was part of the Mughal
Empire. During Akbar's (Jellaladin Muhammad Akbár the Great 1542-1605) rule,
Lahore was the capital of the empire from 1584 to 1598. Lahore's golden age
began under the Mughals, and the city occasionally became the place of royal
residence. During this time a massive fort, the Lahore Fort, which display
magnificent examples of Kashi, or encaustic tile work was built on the
fundaments of an older fort in the 1560s. This fort was later extended by
Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb from 1658
until 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid
Literally the 'Royal Mosque' and the Alamgiri Gate to the Lahore Fort. From
the death of Aurangzeb to the accession of Ranjit Singh, Lahore was
subjected to Sikh insurrections. With the invasion of Nader Shah, Lahore
became an outpost 2of his empire, but its history thereafter was associated
with the rise of the Sikhs. Under the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh (1799-1839) it
became the seat of a powerful government but declined again under his
successors. The city passed under British rule in 1849.
