Hiran Minar

Emperor Jahangir got this park constructed in the memory of his deer (antelope). Such was the magnanimity of Mughal emperors that they would create monuments out of love for their pets! This

Wikipedia entry on Hiran minar give more details on this beautiful mughal era building.

Lahore Museum

One of the largest museums in Pakistan, Lahore Museum was built in the early years of British rule in sub continent in 1860s. The museum is frequented by tourists, local and foreign alike not only for its collection but also for its beautiful architecture which is reminiscent of British architecture in the region.

Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan is a famous national landmark located in Lahore. It was built in commemoration of Pakistan resolution which was a pivotal milestone in Pakistan movement. It is located in the same ground where in a large congregation, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah presided over Muslim League's annual meeting and Pakistan resolution was approved. This resolution formally demanded creation of Pakistan, a separate homeland for Muslims of Subcontinent


                      



                                     



                                   

Lake Saif ul Malook

Pakistan is blessed with many lakes which add to the magnificent and breathtaking beauty of natural landscapes. Lake Saif-ul-Malook is one of the lakes which is famed all over the world for its awesome views and breathtaking splendor. Saif ul Malook lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains which add to the azurish green waters of the lake. One of the most beautiful places in Northern areas of Pakistan, Lake Saif ul Malook is a must-see for those who love to see awesomeness of natural landscape. Read here the Wikipedia entry on Saif ul Malook: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Saiful_Muluk

National Dress

The national dress is Shalwar Qameez for both men and women. It consists of a long, loose fitting tunic with very baggy trousers. The dress is believed to be an amalgamation of the dresses worn by the ancientPersians, and Mughal Empire who have left their impression on the people and culture of Pakistan.                                                            m ^[10]

The men's version consists of solid, masculine colours, and is almost always accompanied by a collar and buttons (similar to a polo shirt). Men often wear an outer waistcoat over the shalwar kameez. The women's version almost never contains collar and buttons but is often embroidered and consists of feminine colors and may feature lace or flower patterns.

In the summer, a light, cotton version is often worn, while during the winter, a heavier, wool version is worn.

The sherwani or achkan, with karakul hat is the recommended dress for male government employees and officials, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. Most male government officials wear the formal black sherwani on state occasions.

A large Pakistani diaspora exists in the Western world and the Middle East. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, Canada and Australia tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia originally came from a rural background belonging to the working class. These emigrants and their children influence Pakistan culturally and economically, keeping close ties with their roots by travelling to Pakistan and especially by returning or investing there.

Cuisine

Culinary art in Pakistan comprises a mix of Middle Eastern, Iranian,Afghan, Indian, and Turkish influences that reflect the country's historyas well as the variation of cooking practices from across the surrounding regions. Urban centres of the country offer an amalgamation of recipes from all parts of the country, while food with specific local ingredients and tastes is available in rural areas and villages. Besides the main dishes of salan, with or without meat and cooked with vegetables or lentils, there are a number of provincial specialties such as karahi, biryani, and tikka, in various forms and flavours, eaten alongside a variety of breads such as naan, chapati, and roti.

There are also local forms of grilled meat or kebabs, desserts, and a variety of hot and cold drinks.

Recreation and sports

The official national sport of Pakistan is field hockey, but cricket andsquash are the most popular sports. The Pakistan national field hockey team has won the Hockey World Cup a record four times. The Pakistan national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in1987 and 1996). Additionally, they have also won the ICC World Twenty20 once (in 2009), and were runners-up (in 2007). The team has also won the Austral-Asia Cup in 1986, 1990, and 1994.

At the international level, Pakistan has competed many times at theSummer Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, andshooting. Hockey is the sport in which Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, winning three gold medals (1960, 1968, and 1984). Pakistan has also won theHockey World Cup four times (1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994).^[6] Pakistan has hosted several international competitions, including the South Asian Federation Games in 1989 and 2004.

A1 Grand Prix racing is also becoming popular with the entry of a Pakistani team in the 2005 season. TheTour de Pakistan, modelled on the Tour de France, is an annual cycling competition that covers the length and breadth of Pakistan. Recently, football has grown in popularity across the country, where traditionally it had been played almost exclusively in the western province of Balochistan. FIFA has recently teamed up with the government to bring football closer to the northern areas too.

Architecture

The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be traced to four distinct periods: pre-Islamic, Hindu heritage, Buddhist culture, Islamic, colonial, and post-colonial. With the beginning of theIndus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium^[2] B.C., an advanced urban culture developed for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.^[3]Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism, Guptas, Mouryas, and thePersian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco-Buddhist style, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The arrival of Islam in today's Pakistan introduced the classical Islamic construction techniques into Pakistan's architectural landscape.^[4] However, a smooth transition to predominantly picture-less Islamic architecture occurred. The town of Uch Sharif contains the tombs of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim, and Jalaluddin Bukhari, which are considered some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Pakistan and are on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site list since 2004.^[5] One of the most important of the few examples of the Persian style of architecture is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan. During the Mughal era, design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with, and often produced playful forms of, Hindustani art. Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Persian seeming Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. The Shahjahan Mosque of Thatta in Sindh also originates from the epoch of the Mughals, as does the Mohabbat Khan Mosque in Peshawar.

In the British colonial age, the buildings developed were predominantly of the Indo-European style, with a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid.

Culture of Pakistan

The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu: ثقافت پاکستان‎) comprises numerous diverse cultures and ethnic groups: thePunjabis, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic,Wakhi, and Burusho communities in the north. These Pakistani cultures have been greatly influenced by many of the surrounding countries' cultures, such as the Turkic peoples, Persian, Arab, and other South Asian ethnic groups of the Subcontinent, Central Asiaand the Middle East.

In ancient times, Pakistan was a major cultural hub. Many cultural practices and great monuments have been inherited from the time of the ancient rulers of the region. One of the greatest cultural influences was that of the Persian Empire, of which Pakistan was a part. In fact, the Pakistani satraps were at one time the richest and most productive of the massive Persian Empire. Other key influences include the Afghan Empire, Mughal Empire and later, the short-lived but influential, the British Empire.

Pakistan has a cultural and ethnic background going back to theIndus Valley Civilization, which existed from 2800–1800 B.C., and was remarkable for its ordered cities, advanced sanitation, excellent roads, and uniquely structured society. Pakistan has been invaded many times in the past, and has been occupied and settled by many different peoples, each of whom have left their imprint on the current inhabitants of the country. Some of the largest groups were the Proto-Indo-Aryans, of which Sindhis and Punjabis descend from and later Iranic peoples which the Baloch and Pashtuns descend from. Other less significant ones include the Greeks, Scythians, Persians, White Huns, Arabs, Turks,Mongols, Buddhists, and other Eurasian groups, up to and including the British, who left in the late 1940s.

The region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to Turkey's position in Eurasia.^[1] There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamicpractices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield, including Tibet, Nepal, India, and eastern Afghanistan. All groups show varying degrees of influence from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece. Pakistan was the first region of South Asia to receive the full impact of Islam and has developed a distinct Islamic identity, historically different from areas further west.^[1]

Diwan-e-Khas: the hall of special audience with the emperor

Bahauddin Zakariya

Ancient sites in Pakistan include: Zoroastrian Fire temples, Islamic centres, shi'a shrines/Sufi shrines, Buddhist temples,Sikh, Hindu, and pagan temples and shrines, gardens, tombs, palaces, monuments, and Mughal and Indo-Saracenic buildings. Sculpture is dominated by Greco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork.

Pakistani society is largely multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural. Though cultures within the country differ to some extent, more similarities than differences can be found, as most Pakistanis are mainly of Aryan heritage or have coexisted side by side along the Indus River for several thousand years, or both. However, over 60 years of integration, a distinctive "Pakistani" culture has sprung up, especially in the urban areas where many of the diverse ethnic groups have coexisted and ithe country now having a literacy rate of 55%, up from 3% at the time of independence. Traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families increasingly form nuclear families, owing to socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional culture of the extended family.

The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad,Quetta, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Sialkot, Abbottabad, and Multan. Rural areas of Pakistan are regarded as more conservative, and are dominated by regional tribal customs dating back hundreds if not thousands of years.

"Pakistan's culture is again unique like the rest of the country. Pakistan's geography is the meeting point of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia/Gulf. Its culture could be termed as a combination of sub continental, Islamic, Regional, English, and more recently global influences. Let us consider them piecemeal. The newly born Pakistan had to have a sub continental leaning, having been a part of for last 5000 years of its civilization. However, the Indus Valley, present day Pakistan, culture was different from the rest of North India or South India". (Quoted Pakistan's Identity, History and Culture, from the famous book Gwadar on the Global Chessboard by Nadir Mir)

Swat Museum

Swat Museum is halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries, which contain a collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat. They have been rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story.

Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery.

The museum is occupied by the Pakistan army and it is not known when they will leave it.

Economy

Wild life When shrubs and bushes covered slopes and foothill areas, hares, porcupine, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, and hyenas were in large number. Deforestation has resulted from the residents' use of wood as fuel, and wildlife has decreased with the loss of habitat. In the forests, monkeys are often found.

Hawks, eagles, and falcons are found in the high mountains, while pheasants, partridges, hoopoes, larks, sparrows, quails, doves, swallows, starlings, nightingales, crows, kites, vultures, owls, bates are the common birds.

Bees: The bees were kept in Swat commonly, and the honey was famous all over the country. But now the moveable beehives have affected the Swat locally reared bees greatly. Now, the local good honey is found in remote areas only, while the honey of moveable hives is available everywhere at low prices.

Trout of Swat valley

Emerald of Swat Valley

Fisheries There is a large fishery in Madyan where trout fish are reared. Kohistan-e-Swat operates some private fisheries. In Buner the fish are reared in Barandu, Dagar. The Swat River serves as a permanent fishery throughout the year, while its tributaries are used for fishing only in spring.

Mineral resources Mines' production plays an important role in the economy of a country because local people get the opportunities to earn their livelihood. But the Swati mines have no importance for the local people in this respect. Swat's mineral wealth is mainly in china clay, marble and emerald.

China clay: China clay exists at “Kathyar” in Nekpikheil (on the road that leads to Shahderai at a distance of 15 miles from Mingora). This is the largest mine, having the finest quality, of china clay in Pakistan. The clay is mined here, and is transported to Shaidu in Nawshehra (which is at a distance of around 100 miles from Swat). It is not so advantageous for the local people, because they have no opportunity to work in the complex.

Soap clay Soap clay has been discovered between Alpurai and Kanra on the side of Gilgit Road (Shahrah-e-Resham).

Marble Marble is dug near Charbagh, Murghuzar, and Barikot in the proper valley of Swat. In Buner, it is mined in Thor Warsak, Bampokha, and Sawawai.

Emerald Emeralds are mined in Swat and exported to international markets.

Industries Handicrafts The handicrafts of Swat are famous.

Stone art in Swat Valley

Stone art in Swat Valley

Woollen blankets: These blankets are known as "Sharai". They are prepared of wool obtained from the local sheep. The weight of a medium-size blanket is four kilos. This is the best source of warmth during severe winters. The blankets are woven in Dewlai, Kala Kalay, Salampur, Puran, and Ghurband. These villages prepare the items on a commercial scale.

Shawl Shawls are woolen sheets, light in weight. Sometimes, cotton is added. Shawls are prepared in Salampur and Dewlai "Jolabad".

Rugs Rugs are made from local fleeces, prepared in the villages by pressing wool with the help of water spray. After preparation, it is beautified with the use of color. Rugs were the traditional carpets of shepherds, but now are used everywhere.

Embroidery The embroidery of Swat is famous. This art is an indoor hobby of the ladies in Swat, particularly in Nekpikheil. There are three types of embroidery: Panrey or Panrhey is the traditional embroidery of shoes, still used by the old persons in Swat. They are made in Swat with tanned leather. The cobblers make ladies shoes and sandals adorned with golden lace work.

Shkor A Shkor is a pot in which chapatis (bread used in India and Pakistan) are kept. The ordinary Shkors are prepared everywhere in Swat. A special design is made in Puran and Chagharzee. (These Shkors are high-based pots made of wheat stalks with art, not easily available in bazaar).

Furniture Furniture is made in the district, such as cots, tables, chairs, dressing tables, and cradles are made in Mingora, and in nearly all large villages.

Cultural Diversity

Swat has been called "the paradise on earth", and many in Pakistan know about the beauty of Swat valley. Swat used to attract high profile guests to its beauty; indeed, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip ofEngland visited Swat in 1962. Queen Elizabeth II restricted herself to Swat only and denied the rest of Pakistan a visit.^{[citation needed]} Similarly, in summer thousands of tourists pour to Swat for relief from the scorching sun in the cities. Every visitor and resident of Swat is well aware of its azure lakes; waterfalls, crystal clear streams, lush green pastures and fields, fruit laden orchards, and the mild cold breeze during summer. What most of the residents and tourists miss is Swat’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity which add to its natural beauty.

In Swat seven languages are spoken. Besides Pashto, the majority language, Torwali, Gujri, Gawri,Qashqari, Ushojo and Badeshi are also spoken in Swat, although Badeshi and Ushojo are now moribund. Gujri is a commonly known language in Pakistan and its speakers are scattered throughout the whole Swat; however, other languages are much less well known. Torwali, Gawri, Qashqari (a variety ofKhowar/Chitrali language), Ushojo and Badeshi are all among the Dardic group of languages of the Indo-Aryan family.

The Torwali community is said to be descended from the original inhabitants of pre-Muslim Swat, before the invasion of Swat in the second millennium. Recent research, and excavation (2012) by the Italian Archeological Mission in Swat, show traces that suggest that the Torwali community was inhabiting Swat even before the Buddhist and Hindu period.^[12] The region between the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas – from Nuristan and Laghman provinces in Afghanistan to the bottom of Himalaya including Indian Kashmirvia the ranges of Karakorum – was the land of Dardic or Darada (a Romanized name for Herodotus’ Dadakai) people, with indigenous worldviews different from the major religions. The Torwali community is now confined to what is known as Kohistan of Swat – the upper narrow but beautiful valley beyond the town of Madyan up to the boundary of Kalam in the north; and to the Chail Valley to the east of Madyan. The speakers are a little over 100,000 people.^{[citation needed]}

Gawri, another Dardic language, is confined to Kalam and Utror valleys with about 60,000 speakers; however, a considerable number of Gawri language speakers also dwell in the Kohistan of Upper Dir generally known as Dir Kohistan.

Qashqari is a variety of Khawar, which is also a Dardic language. Qashqari is spoken by a few thousand people in Kalam and Mitiltan.

Ushojo is now moribund. It is Dardic in origin and resembles the Shina language of Gilgit. It has now a few hundred speakers. Badeshi is now completely extinct; its last two speakers died a couple of years back.^{[citation needed][timeframe?]}

These languages are still not well documented. However, endeavours are carried out by the few researchers and civil society workers in the communities. Preservation, documentation and promotion are now being carried out for the Torwali and Gawri languages.

Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (IBT) or Institute for Education and Development, a Bahrain based, north Pakistan focused, nonprofit organization has developed a working orthography for Torwali and published a number of other books in Torwali. It has designed a course in Torwali for children and runs a Torwali based multilingual education school for children in Bahrain, the cultural and business hub of the Torwali community. IBT recently launched a Torwali based bilingual education project for adult women in the Torwali community, which is deemed as an effective tool to slow down the language shift in the community.

In addition to this IBT has published a number of books for adult literacy such as:

• Inaan (Rainbow), a collection of Torwali poetry with Urdu translation
• Saath Baach Si Khazan (Treasure of Seven Kings), a collection of Torwali legends and folk stories
• Torwali Alphabet Book
• Torwali Primer
• Torwali reading and listening stories for children

IBT also publishes a quarterly newsletter in Torwali, named Koshein after the Torwali name for theMankiyal Peak, which is visible from almost all parts of Swat. It is managed and led by a team of Torwali youth. Currently, a Jehanzebian^{[clarification needed]}, writer and activist Zubair Torwali, leads IBT with a large team including Aftab Ahmad, Noor Khan, Sajjad Ahmad, Mujahid.

The linguist and researcher Inam Ullah has compiled a Torwali-Urdu dictionary in print and online. Inam Ullah was awarded an honorary PhD degree by the Torwali community at the time of launching of the dictionary in 2008. Inam Ullah is to Torwali as Samuel Johnson is to English. Before him Abdul Hameed Karimi, another Torwali speaker, also tried to preserve Torwali language by writing a Torwali Urdu Bol Chal^{[clarification needed]} book. Before these initiatives research had been carried on the language by foreigners. Among them, Sir Grierson is the most prominent, writing a book named Torwali based on the data collected by Sir Aurel Stein, the well-known orientalist and writer of On Alexander's Track to the Indus: Personal Narrative of Explorations on the North-West Frontier of India.

There are also a number of commendable initiatives by the youth to preserve and document the Gawri language. The Gawri Community Development Programme is carrying out research and education in Gawri under the guidance of Muhammad Zaman Sagar.

The situation of Ushojo and Badeshi is critical. While Badeshi is no longer alive Ushojo is on the verge of death as no documentation or preservation has occurred.