5 HISTORICAL PLACES IN PAKISTAN

List of Historical Places in Pakistan

1. Hiran Minar
2. The Noor Mahal
3. Mohenjo Daro
4. Minar-e-Pakistan
5. Taxila City
6. Katas Raj Temples
7. Harappa
8. Lahore Fort
9. Takht-i-Bahi
10. Rohtas Fort

1. Hiran Minar

Located in Sheikhupura, Hiran Minar is an early Mughal era complex that was completed in the 17th century. It is also known as “The deer Tower.” The complex was built by Emperor Jahangir to honor his pet antelope named Mansraj. 

The Hiran Minar is located in Sheikhupura, a city to the northwest of Lahore. Another famous historical place located near the Hiran Minar is the Sheikhupura Fort, which also dates from the early 17th century. Both sites are accessible from Lahore via the M2 Motorway.

The structure of the complex is also very interesting. It consists of four minarets that are 30 feet in length. The complex also has a massive pool and a pavilion giving it more beauty and grace. There are amazing pools in Karachi to dip in summers.

2. The Noor Mahal

Noor Mahal located in the city of Bahawalpur is a depiction of beauty and class. It was built in 1872 by the Nawab of Bahawalpur during the British Raj. Map of the city and gold coins were also buried in the foundation of the mahal. 

Apart from the exterior of the mahal, the interior of the mahal also speaks of elegance and exquisite taste. Much of the beautiful furniture of the mahal was imported from England and Italy. The construction of the building was completed in 1875 at a cost of Rs. 1.2 million.

The mahal is spread across an area of 44,600 square feet (4,140 m2). It has 32 rooms including 14 in the basement, 6 verandas, and 5 domes.

Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan the fifth added a mosque to the palace in 1906 at the cost of Rs. 20,000.

The building was declared a “protected monument” in September 2001 by the Government of Pakistan’s Department of Archeology, and it is now open for the general public. The mahal also houses a lot of personal belongings of the Nawab including his old swords, old currency notes, and coins, old laws that were made in that time, an old piano that Nawabs used to play, old furniture used by Nawabs and the list goes on. There is also a long wall in it that contains imaginary pictures of Nawabs.

3. Mohenjo Daro

Mohenjo Daro is an archeological site located in the province of Sindh. Mohenjo Daro is also known as ‘Mound of the Dead Men.’

Mohenjo Daro was built around 2500 BC and it is said to be one of the largest and oldest settlements of the Indus Valley. The city was abandoned in the 19th century BCE due to unknown reasons. The city was rediscovered in 1920 and since then some major excavations have been conducted in the region.

The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Mohenjo-Daro is located west of the Indus River in Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is one of the best places to visit.

 4. Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan is equivalent to nationalism and patriotism in Pakistan. It is the national monument, located at the center of Lahore. The tower was built between 1960 and 1968 on the site where the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution on 23 March 1940.

The tower is a perfect combination of Islamic and modern design and architecture. It was designed by the famous Russian born architect, Nasreddin Murat-Khan. The construction of the monument started in 1960 and it was completed on 21 October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs 7,058,000.

The tower rises about 62 meters on the base, the total height of the minar is about 70 meters above the ground. The base of the minar transforms into big petals. The petals are 9 meters high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. There are inscriptions on the petals which showcase the text of Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali, and English, and Delhi Resolution’s text, which was passed on 9 April 1946. Besides this, 13 Gates of Lahore are also comes to the list of top historical places of Pakistan.

5. Taxila City

Taxila is an ancient city located near Rawalpindi city. Taxila means “City of Cut Stone in Sanskrit. It is located 32 km (20 mi) north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi near the famous Grand Trunk Road. Islamabad has some amazing places to visit and haunted places as well. There are many activities you can do in Rawalpindi.

Some of the ruins of the region date back to the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, followed by the Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, and Kushan Empire periods. This indicates the historical importance and diversity of the region. 

The famous archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham rediscovered the ruins of Taxila in the mid-19th century. In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2006, it was ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian newspaper. 

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