Truth be told, we are home to a decent number of United Nations World Heritage locales. These locales are ensured by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). What's more, they are places that you should make a trip to.
Other than that, Pakistan social, normal and archeological locales that should be believed to be accepted. Here's a rundown of recorded places in Pakistan that have the right to be on your movement schedule.
So here's the list of top 10 historical places in Pakistan that you should visit:
1. Hiran Minar, Sheikhupura:
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| Image Source: tripkar.com |
Hiran Minar is an early 17th-century Mughal era complex located in Sheikhupura, in the Pakistani province of Punjab.
The complex was built at the site of a game reserve in honor of Mughal Emperor Jahangir's pet antelope. The Emperor is remembered for his fondness of nature, and his complex embodies the Mughal relationship between humans, pets, and hunting. (Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
The Hiran Minar complex is located in the city of Sheikhupura, about 40 kilometers northwest of Lahore. The complex is located near the Sheikhupura Fort, which also dates from the early 17th century. Both sites are accessible from Lahore via the M2 Motorway, which connects Lahore to the Islamabad. (Source: Wikipedia)2. Noor Mahal, Bahawalpur:
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| Source: Wikipedia |
The Noor Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, now it is co-owned by Sajid Ali Isar And Malik Farhan at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawabs of Bahawalpur princely state, during British Raj. (Source: Wikipedia)
History:
There are various stories regarding its construction. According to one legend, Nawab Adnan Abbasi IV had the palace made for his wife; however, she was only there for one night, 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, due to the lack of publicity. The palace is open to the public. It is currently in the possession of the Pakistan Army and is used as a state guest house for holding state durbars and meetings with foreign delegations.
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3. Wazir Khan Mosque:
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| Source: cartay.pk |
The Wazir Khan Mosque is 17th-century mosque located in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as part of an ensemble of buildings that also included the nearby Shahi Hammam baths. Construction of Wazir Khan Mosque began in 1634 C.E. and was completed in 1641.
Considered to be the most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque is renowned for its intricate faience tile work known as Kashi-Kari, as well as its interior surfaces that are almost entirely embellished with elaborate Mughal-era frescoes. The mosque has been under extensive restoration since 2009 under the direction of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Government of Punjab, with contributions from the governments of Germany, Norway, and the United States. (Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
The mosque is located in the Walled City of Lahore along the southern side of Lahore's Shahi Guzargah, or "Royal Road," which was the traditional route traversed by Mughal nobles on their way to royal residences at the Lahore Fort. The mosque is situated approximately 260 meters west of the Delhi Gate, where the mosque's Shahi Hammam is located. The mosque also faces a town square known as Wazir Khan Chowk and the Chitta Gate.
4. Mohenjo Daro, Sindh:
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| Source: infopediahub.com |
Mohenjo-Daro is an archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and one of the world's earliest major cities, contemporaneous with the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Minoan Crete, and Norte Chico. Mohenjo-Daro was abandoned in the 19th century BCE as the Indus Valley Civilization declined, and the site was not rediscovered until the 1920s. Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The site is currently threatened by erosion and improper restoration. (Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
Mohenjo-Daro is located west of the Indus River in Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan, in a central position between the Indus River and the Ghaggar-Hakra River. It is situated on a Pleistocene ridge in the middle of the flood plain of the Indus River Valley, around 28 kilometers (17 mi) from the town of Larkana. The ridge was prominent during the time of the Indus Valley Civilization, allowing the city to stand above the surrounding flood, but subsequent flooding has since buried most of the ridge in silt deposits. The Indus still flows east of the site, but the Ghaggar-Hakra riverbed on the western side is now dry.5. Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore:
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| Source: ickr.com |
Minar-e-Pakistan is a national monument located in Lahore, Pakistan. 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 first official call for a separate and independent homeland for the Muslims of British India, as espoused by the two-nation theory. The resolution eventually helped lead to the emergence of an independent Pakistani state in 1947. (Source: Wikipedia)
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6. Tomb of Jahangir, Lahore:
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| Source: pakistan.web.pk |
The Tomb of Jahangir is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637 and is located in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous for its interiors that are extensively embellished with frescoes and marble, and its exterior that is richly decorated with pietra dura. The tomb, along with the adjacent Akbari Sarai and the Tomb of Asif Khan, is part of an ensemble currently on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status. (Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
The tomb is located in Shahdara Bagh, northwest of the Walled City of Lahore. The tomb is located across the River Ravi from Lahore, in what was a rural area known for its numerous pleasure gardens. The tomb is located in Nur Jahan's pleasure garden, the Dilkusha Garden, that had been laid out in 1557. The Tomb of Asif Khan, built in 1645, and the Akbari Sarai, built in 1637, are located immediately west of Jahangir's tomb complex, and the three form an ensemble-oriented on an east-west axis. The last of the Shahdara Bagh monuments, the tomb of Jahangir's wife Nur Jahan is located slight southwest of Asif Khan's tomb.7. Shalimar Gardens:
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| Source: historyhub.com |
The Shalimar Gardens sometimes spelled Shalamar Gardens, is a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The gardens date from the period when the Mughal Empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith, and are now one of Pakistan's most popular tourist destinations.
The Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature. Construction of the gardens began in 1641 during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan and was completed in 1642.[3] According to Hari Ram Gupta, "Diwan Amar Nath says that Ranjit Singh in 1804 changed its name to Shahla Bagh" the Ram Bagh built by Rai Pandat Khabardhan and destroyed after 1947 would be called "New Shahla Bagh". "In 1806 Maharaja ordered the Shalamar Gardens to be repaired." In 1981 the Shalimar Gardens were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as they embody Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development.(Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of Lahore's Walled City.
8. Rohtas Fort:
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| Source: Pakwheels.com |
Rohtas Fort is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Jhelum in the Pakistani province of Punjab. The fortress was built during the reign of Sher Shah Suri between 1541 and 1548. The fort was also designed to suppress the local Gakhar tribes of the Potohar region. The Gakhar tribes were allies of the Mughal Empire and refused to recognize the suzerainty of Sher Shah Suri. The fort is one of the largest and most formidable in the subcontinent. Rohtas Fort was never stormed by force and has survived remarkably intact.
The fort is known for its large defensive walls, and several monumental gateways. Rohtas Fort was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1997 for being an "exceptional example of the Muslim military architecture of Central and South Asia."(Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
The fort lies eight kilometers south of the Grand Trunk Road. It is approximately 16 km NW of Jhelum and is near the city of Dina. It is approximately 3 km from Khukha. The historic Shahrah-e-Azam road once passed adjacent to the outer northern wall of the fort.
Rohtas Fort was built on a hill overlooking a gorge where the Kahan river meets a seasonal stream called Parnal Khas within the Tilla Jogian Range. The fort is about 300 feet (91 m) above its surroundings. It is 2,660 feet (810 m) above sea level and covers an area of 12.63 acres (51,100 m2).
9. Makli Necropolis, Thatta:
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| Source: Google |
Makli Necropolis is one of the largest funerary sites in the world, spread over an area of 10 square kilometers near the city of Thatta, in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The site houses approximately 500,000 to 1 million tombs built over the course of a 400 year period. Makli Necropolis features several large funerary monuments belonging to royalty, various Sufi saints, and esteemed scholars. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 as an "outstanding testament" to Sindhi civilization between the 14th and 18th centuries. (Source: Wikipedia)
Location:
Makli Necropolis is located in the town of Makli, which is located on a plateau approximately 6 kilometers from the city of Thatta, the capital of lower Sindh until the 17th century. It lies approximately 98 km east of Karachi, near the apex of the Indus River Delta in southeastern Sindh. The southernmost point of the site is approximately 5 miles north of the ruins of the medieval Kallankot Fort.
10. Taxila:
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| Source: UNESCO |
Taxila is an important archaeological site of the ancient Indian subcontinent, located in the city of Taxila in Punjab, Pakistan. It lies about 32 km (20 mi) north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road.
Ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The origin of Taxila as a city goes back to c. 1000 BCE. Some ruins at Taxila date to the time of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE followed successively by Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, and Kushan Empire periods.
Owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries, with many empires vying for its control. When the great ancient trade routes connecting these regions ceased to be important, the city sank into insignificance and was finally destroyed by the nomadic Hunas in the 5th century. The renowned archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham rediscovered the ruins of Taxila in the mid-19th century. In 1980, Taxila has declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2006 it was ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian newspaper.
By some accounts, the University of Ancient Taxila was considered to be one of the earliest (or the earliest) universities in the world. Others do not consider it a university in the modern sense, in that the teachers living there may not have had official membership of particular colleges, and there did not seem to have existed purpose-built lecture halls and residential quarters in Taxila, in contrast to the later Nalanda university in eastern India.
In a 2010 report, Global Heritage Fund identified Taxila as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management, development pressure, looting, and war and conflict as primary threats. However, significant preservation efforts have been carried out since then by the government which have resulted in the site being declared as "well-preserved" by different international publications.Because of the extensive preservation efforts and upkeep, the site is a popular tourist spot, attracting up to one million tourists every year.(Source: Wikipedia)
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Top 10 historical places in Pakistan.
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