Introduction: The city of Lahore is the capital of the Punjab. It occupies a central position, and is generally called 'The Heart of Pakistan'. Lahore is situated on the banks of the Ravi . Lahore is a city of gardens, and has the reputation of being the 'Green City'. It occupies a choice site in the midst of fertile alluvial plains. Lahore is the city of poets, artists and the center of film industry. Brief History: Ptolemy's "Geographia", written about 150 AD, refers to it as "Labokla" and locates it with reference to the Indus, the Ravi, the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers. Another place revealed that it was founded by Loh the son of Rama Chandra. However the accorded history of Lahore dates back to 850 AD., conquered by Mahmood Gaznavi in 1021 AD, it was made the capital of the Ghaznavid east of Indus and later captital of entire Ghaznavid Empire by Masud, son of Mahmood. It was then that Lahore became the centre of social, cultural and educational activities reaching the pinnacle of its glory under the Mughals who gave it its famous architecture including the magnificent fort, gardens, tombs, mosques and pavilions. Some of the old names of Lahore can be observed as: - Laha-noor
- Loh-pur
- Mahmood-pur
- Samandpal Nagiri
- Lohar-pur
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Tower of Lahore
(Minar-e-Pakistan)
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Population
About 6.5 Million
Area
390 sq. miles
Lahore
Centre of Cultural life
Largest educational centre
'Heart of Pakistan'
Magnificant Architectures
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Area and Population: With a population of more than 6,563,000 people, Lahore is Pakistan's second largest city. The city is built in the form of a parallelogram, the area within the walls (central Lahore or Old Lahore), being about 461 acres. The district lies at 31-34' North latitude and 74-20' East longitude. Climate There are two main seasons, namely the winter and the summer. The monsoons are at their peak during July and August, and during these two months there is more than half of the annual rainfall. October and November are the drieat months and average rain fall during these months is about one third of an inch only. There are Winter rains during December - February, the average rainfall during these months being 3 inches.
Historical Architectures The city as we know it today, reached its peak of glory during the Moghul rulers, especially in the reign of Akbar the Great. His son, Jehangir, is buried in its outskirts and his mausoleum is one of the places frequented by tourists and Lahorites alike. Close by is the mausoleum of the famous Moghul Empress, Noor Jehan, who is known for introducing the rose plant and for initiating several cultural movements in the Sub-Continent.
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