Punjab is a culturally rich region with a long history. The major cities - Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, and Taxila - each offer historical sites dating back to various empires that ruled the region. Lahore has numerous grand Mughal-era monuments, including the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort. Taxila was home to one of the earliest known universities and contains well-preserved Buddhist structures. The diverse culture is also reflected in the local cuisine and crafts of the Punjab region.

1. Exploring Culture Rich Pakistan –I
(PUNJAB )
A presentation for educational purposes.
Prepared by: Ayaz Z. Noorani.
Academic Director/ Sr. Instructor, Institute of Hotel & Restaurant Management, University of Gujrat, Paksitan

2. Punjab:
Journey through Punjab is a breathtaking lesson in history. The seductive
past lives on; in the myths that engulf its monuments and the age all skills
practiced by modern artisans.
Surrounded by the loud clutter of traffic reminiscence of a glorious past
can be traced everywhere.
Punjab truly is the land which is in enduringly antiquated and progressively
modem.
Here the traveller will find a mosaic of regulated time-tested cultures
woven together by the pure faith of Islam. Underlying all the other
magnificent vistas of a land of Snow clad mountains and pass plains,
nature with canal

3. irrigated fields and rich orchards in awe inspiring values and desserts
with nomadic life .
The major cities of Punjab are Lahore the bastion of Mughal spirit
Rawalpindi the treasure of Heritage and mysticism, Bhawalpur the land of
the princess, Multan the city of shrines and Sufis, with longest continuous
system in Punjab Taxila the custodian of the Gandhara art on the torch
bearer of romance Harappa a subtle rendezvous of centuries Murree a
jewel of a hill station and the passport to adventure and last but not the
least Jhelum the land of the brave.

6. LAHORE
A legend based on oral traditions holds that Lahore was known in ancient
times as Lavapuri, City of Lava in Sanskrit (Lava is also referred to as
Loh). Raja Loh wasson of Sri Ram Chandar Jee, the hero of Mahabharta,
who established the city in his name.
Origin & History One of the oldest historical references about Lahore is
found in Tareekh-ul-Hind written by Abu-Rehan Al Beruni (973 AD – 1048
AD), who traveled to India in1017 AD. In his book, he remembers Lahore as
an area not as a city whose capital was Mandhor kor.Hazrat Ali Hajvery
(RA), (990 AD – 1077 AD), who preached Islam in Lahore, has also
mentioned the city of Lahore in his book Kashf-ul-Mahjuub.

8. All major monuments, buildings, Havelis and gardens of Lahore are of
Moughal period, during which Lahore touched its glory. The only
contribution of Sikh period is Ranjit Singh Smadh. British ignored the
walled city of Lahore and created a new Lahore on its southern side. This
includes, The Mall, Civil lines and Cantonment. They constructed several
buildings with an architecture blended with Muslim and Gothic motive.
The walled city of Lahore, the original seat of political authority and
cultural traditions is one of the most colorful cities of the region.

9. The Badshahi mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in
Pakistan. The architecture resembles the Jama Masjid in New
Delhi but at a much bigger scale

10. Lahore Fort is a Mughal-era fortress with several
stunning palaces, gardens, and museums all
behind the fortress wall.

11. At the northwest corner of the fort, you will find a beautiful structure called
the Sheesh Mahal, or the Palace of Mirrors. The palace was built under the
reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan during the 16th century and has
since been maintained quite well until today.

12. The Lahore museum was built during the British colonial time with a
Mughal-Gothic architectural style, depicting the Indian architecture
through the westerners' eyes. The museum is built with stunning red
bricks that are quite common in Lahore structures that were built during
the British Raj reign.

13. 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

14. The fort at Lahore is the result of many centuries' work. According to the
Pakistani historian Wali Ullah Khan, the earliest reference to the fort
comes in a history of Lahur (Lahore) compiled by Al-Biruni, which refers to
a fort constructed in the early 11th century.
The fort was greatly expanded during the reigns of Jahangir, Shah Jahan,
and Aurangzeb. During the period of Sikh occupation, Ranjit Singh added
several pavilions on the upper ramparts. Modifications to the fort were
even made during the British colonial period beginning in 1846, but
consisted mainly of converting older buildings into hospitals, barracks,
and other colonial functions. Perhaps worst of all, portions of the gardens
were converted into tennis courts, but abuses such as this have been
corrected as preservationists have slowly restored portions of the fort to
its pre-1846 appearance.

15. Hiran Minar is located near the city
of Sheikhupura, and is 40
kilometers away from the provincial
capital, Lahore. Built in 1606 by the
4th Mughal King Jahangir in
memory of his pet deer named
Hansraj. There is a 100 foot high
tower built in the centre of a lake
which can be accessed through a
bridge. From the top of the tower
one can see the surrounding area.
It indeed is a beautiful pinic area
and a historical monument.

16. Nankana Sahib is a city and
capital of Nankana Sahib
District in the Punjab
province of Pakistan.
It is named after the first
Guru of the Sikhs, Guru
Nanak, who was born in the
city and first began
preaching here. Nankana
Sahib is the most important
religious site for the Sikh
religionIt is located about 91
km west of Lahore & 40 km
from Sheikhupura

17. TAXILA
• The Taxila archaeological site is located in the province of Punjab, Pakistan,
about 30 km north of the Capital Territory of Islamabad. It lies off the famous and
historical Grand Trunk Road. The modern archaeological region of Taxila is
composed of 18 sites of significant cultural value which were inducted as a
whole into the UNESCO world heritage umbrella in 1980 CE.
• Taxila was an ancient city located in what is now considered the province of
Punjab in Pakistan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was discovered in
the 19th century by the archaeologist Alexander Cunningham.
• Historically, Taxila was an important city in the Kingdom of Gandhara which was
present in the region from about 1000 BC to 1000 AD. Taxila was then governed
under several different empires, with each wanting to benefit from the
convenient trade route it offered within South and Central Asia.

18. The world’s first University was established in Takshila or Taxila (now in
Pakistan) in 700BC.
Taxila also known as Takshashila, flourished from 600 BC to 500 AD, in
the kingdom of Gandhara. 68 subjects were taught at this university and,
a student entered Takshashila at the age of sixteen. At one stage, it had
10,500 students including those from Babylon, Greece, Syria, and China.
Experienced masters taught the Vedas, languages, grammar, philosophy,
medicine, surgery, archery, politics, warfare, astronomy, accounts,
commerce, documentation, music, dance and other performing arts,
futurology, the occult and mystical sciences, complex mathematical
calculations.
Takshila was considered to be amongst the earliest universities in the
world and some Historians even suggest that it was the first University in
the world making it the oldest university in the world.
Takshila University

21. There are some three dozen large and small sites which include stupas, monasteries, and other ancient
buildings spread out over a wide area. The UNESCO World Heritage listings for Taxila includes 18 of
these sites with unique numbers alloted to them

22. Taxila Museum is located at Taxila, Punjab, Pakistan. The museum is
home to a significant and comprehensive collection of Gandharan
art dating from the 1st to the 7th centuries CE. Most objects in the
collection were excavated from the ruins of ancient Taxila.

23. The stupa of Dharmarajika was started by Asoka. It is
about 3 kilometers from the Taxila museum.
The Dharmarajika Stupa, also referred to as the Great
Stupa of Taxila, is a Buddhist stupa near Taxila, Pakistan. It
dates from the 2nd century CE, and was built to house
small bone fragments of the Buddha

24. Multan
• Multan is one of the oldest cities of the world dating back 6000 years
when it was known as Maloha, a cultural and trade hub between
Central Asia and South Asia.
• It was conquered by Alexander the Great in 326 BC.
• Multan was conquered along with Sindh by Muhammad bin Qasim in
712 AD.
• Multan was attacked by
Mahmud of Ghazni in 1005 CE.
• Timur, Babur and many other
rulers invaded this city.

25. Geography
• The city of Multan is located in the South of Punjab. The Chenab
River is located on the east of the city. The nearest major cities
are Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Layyah.
• The area around the city is best for agriculture, with
many citrus and mango farms. There are many canals that cut
across the Multan District, providing water from nearby farms. The
canal system of Pakistan is the best in the world. This makes the
land very fertile.
A map dated from 1669 showing Multan

26. Culture
• Multan is one of the oldest cities in South Asia, with many tombs, shrines,
temples, cathedrals and mausoleums, as well as Multan Fort. It has diverse
culture.

27. Main
Places
Delhi Gate Eid Gah Mosque Multan Garrison Club

28. Main
Places
Monument of Patrick Alexander VansAgnew Tomb of Shah Rukn e Aalam Tomb of Bahauddin Zikria

29. Famous Delicacie:
Multani Sohan Halwa known for its International Quality Standard and has won ANIM InternationalAwards

30. Blue Painting And Blue
Pottery

31. Blue Painting and Blue
Pottery

32. They say this is where the culture of shrine worship took root. Approximately
75km from the city of Bahawalpur, Uch was founded by Alexander the Great and
later came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate. Built near a place called
Panjnad – where all of the Indus rivers meet – Uch used to be a centre of political
and cultural activities and is home to myriad of mosques and shrines.
Some of the most popular shrines in Uch are those of Bibi Jawindi, Baha’al-Halim
and Jalaluddin Bukhari – all of which are concentrated in a compound known as
Uch Sharif and are listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Uch Sharif:

33. The name of the town
The name of the town Uch Sharif is often used in place of The Tomb of Bibi
Jawindi. It is this ornate dome that kicked off the trend in Pakistan of
housing the remains of Sufi saints in massive mausoleums.

34. Shrine of Jalaluddin Bukhari is the shrine of Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh
Bukhari. It is located in Uch in present-day Punjab, Pakistan. It is one of
the five monuments in Uch Sharif, Pakistan which are on the tentative
list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites

35. The Incredible Noor Mahal
Before the independence of Pakistan Bahawalpur was a princely state
founded by Abbasi Family who migrated from Bughdad to sub-continent in
the 18th century. Abbasi Family ruled over Bahawalpur more than 200
years (1747-1955). But after migrating to Pakistan in 1947 the Nawab
Muhammad Sadiq Khan acceded the Bahawalpur state with Pakistan in
1956 and opened his treasure for Pakistan because the socio-economic
condition of Pakistan was very critical. Nawabs made several gorgeous
building during their reign , Noor Mahal is one of them.

36. The Cholistan Desert, also locally known as Rohi, is a large desert
in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the
Greater Thar Desert, which extends to Sindh province and the
Indian state of Rajasthan. Derawar Fort is a large square fortress in
Ahmadpur East Tehsil, Punjab, Pakistan. Located approximately 100
km south of the city of Bahawalpur, the forty bastions of Derawar
are visible for many miles in the Cholistan Desert
Cholistan

37. The fascinating fabric called Ralli or Rilli is a remarkable textile artwork converted
into quilts, table runners and cushion covers. Thousands of women are involved
mostly in Sindh, partly in some parts of Cholistan in Bahawalpur distt. of Punjab
and in some areas of Balochistan.
The desert also hosts an annual Jeep rally, known as Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally. It is the
biggest motor sports event in Pakistan.
There are several forts in Cholistan Region. These are:
Derawar Fort
Islamgarh Fort
Mirgarh Fort
Jamgarh Fort
Mojgarh Fort
Marot Fort
Phoolra Fort
Khangarh Fort
Khairgarh Fort
Nawankot Fort
Bijnot Fort

38. Thank you for
your attention &
watching this
presentation.
I hope you
gained some
new information
& Knowledge