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LAHORE
Legend has that it was founded by two sons of Lord Rama about 4000
years ago. Historically it has been proved that Lahore is about 2000
years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, has given a vivid
description of Lahore city which he visited in the early parts of
the seventh century A.D.
For 200 years, beginning from about 1525 A.D., Lahore was a thriving
cultural center of the great Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperors beautified
Lahore with palaces, gardens and mosques. During the British regime
many monuments sprang up in Lahore which blended beautifully with
the Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture.
Lahore is the
second largest city in Pakistan and provincial capital of Punjab.
Apart from being the cultural and academic center of the country,
Lahore is the Mughal "show-window" of Pakistan. The origins
of Lahore are shrouded in the mists of antiquity. Reminiscence of
its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple in the northern
part of the Royal fort, attributed to Lord Rama, the legendry hero
of Ramayana. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to the
sub-continent, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of
dynasties and heroes. However it touched the zenith of its glory
during the rule of Mughals. The Mughals, who were famous as builders,
gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments that are
extinct today.
MULTAN
The
above couple let by a Persian poet describes the primordial environment
of the historic city of Multan. But that has changed now and not
only the city of Multan but the district itself has been transformed
into a green, fertile area. It is fact becoming an industrial town.
The city has its own charm, culture and crafts. The origin of the
name ‘Multan’ is obscure and so is the period of its
founding. It has been Mulosan pulu by Hiuen Tsang and Alberuni called
it Multana, which ultimately came to be called Multan.
BAHAWALPUR
The founder of the state of Bahawalpur was Nawab Bahawal Khan Abbasi
I. The abbasi family ruled over the state more than 200 years (1748
to 1954). During the rule of the last Nawab Sir Sadiq Khan Abbasi
V, Bahawalpur State was merged with Pakistan in 1954. Bahawalpur
was formerly the capital of the state and now is the District Divisional
Headquarters of Bahawalpur division. It is an important marketing
center for surrounding areas and is located on the crossroads between
Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi. Saraiki is the local language
of the area. Urdu, Punjabi and English are also spoken and understood
by most of the people.
FAISLABAD
A 140 kms west of Lahore is Faisalabad. It is known as the Manchester
of Pakistan because it is famous for its textile industry. The focal
point of this cit is Ghanta Ghar Bazaar which connects eight bazaars.
Faisalabad is connected with the rest of the country by air, road
and rail.
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