Pakistan is a Muslim-dominated country with at least 95% Muslims residing within. Tourists entering the country are mostly from United Kingdom, United States, India and China and as of late, they welcomed 530,000 foreigners who spent at least $308 million in the country. It just shows that the numbers are slowly increasing as compared to ten years ago and that Pakistan is becoming a tourist destination because of its many historical landmarks. Speaking of landmarks, here is a Pakistan travel guide compiled by Wanderlust15 for your travel assistance:
1. Badshahi Mosque
The most visited attraction in Lahore, Pakistan is the Badshahi Mosque. For 331 years since its construction, the mosque remained as the largest mosque in the entire world until the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madina was constructed. It was the legacy of Aurangzeb back in 1671 and he was one of the Mughal leaders back in the day. The mosque can accommodate 56,000 worshippers at one time and it is affiliated with Sunni Islamic beliefs and traditions.
2. Shalimar Gardens, Lahore
The Shalimar Gardens together with the Lahore Fort, as mentioned earlier, is a UNESCO site. It is a Persian garden which was created in 1637. After four years, the beautiful garden was completed and until now, with much preservation efforts, it one of the most visited attractions in Pakistan.
The garden has many buildings and it is filled with trees. There are also terraces in the area with water fountains – about 410 fountains all in all. If you are looking for places to visit in Pakistan, this must be in your bucket list.
3. Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort or the Shahi qila, as the locals call it, is a UNESCO acknowledged World Heritage Site. It was inscribed in 1981 with this title – Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore. The site has criteria of i, ii and iii.
At one point, the site was in the List of World Heritage in Danger. It was severely broken and needed much restoration. By 2012, the fort was back to its former glory and was scratched out of the Danger list.
4. Faisal Mosque
Faisal Mosque is considered the central mosque of Pakistan which is Sunni affiliated. It was constructed through a donation given by King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and overall, Faisal Mosque of Pakistan amounted to 120 million US dollars. The King was touched when he visited the country officially in 1966 and saw that the Pakistani government have longed for building a national mosque. His majesty didn’t hesitate and pledged his financial support.
5. Lake Saiful Muluk
Lake Saiful Muluk is an alpine lake in Kaghan Valley in Naran, Pakistan. The water in Lake Saiful goes to Kunhar river and then to Jhelum river. It is one of the best places to visit in Pakistan.
A story was written inspired by the lake and the mountain surrounding it by Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, a Sufi Islamic writer. The story is all about love by people from the opposite sides of life – a Prince of Persia falls called Shahzada Saif Ul Malook was hopelessly falling for a fairy found in the lake by the name of Shehzadi Badri Jamala.
6. Mazar-e-Quaid
The Mazar-e-Quaid is also referred to as the National Mausoleum or the Jinnah Mausoleum. The landmark is situated in Karachi and it was founded in 1970. The whole complex is massive at 33,000 square feet and it is being managed by Mazar Management Board. It is believed that the Mazar-e-Quaid welcomes at least 10,000 visitors each day. It is one of the most famous attractions in the country being it as a significant place – the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was buried there.
7. Wazir Khan Mosque
The Wazir Khan Mosque was constructed in 1642 through the efforts of Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, son of Jahangir. It took nine years to finish the sacred structure and it is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The mosque was designed with intricate details – the walls were tiled in the kashi-kari style with faience. Inside the place of worship, the walls look like frescoes from Mughal dynasty. It is in fact the most ornate mosque in the whole of Pakistan.
8. Rawal Lake
Rawal Lake is one of the places to visit in Pakistan which is located in Margalla Hills National Park. It is in fact a man-made reservoir and not a natural lake. It was created to provide a clean and fresh drinking water system for Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Activities in the area include sailing, water skiing, fishing and boat riding. It is the perfect spot to spend an afternoon picnic with family and friends. Near the lake is Islamabad Club which offers various things to do within the area.
9. Frere Hall
Pakistan was once colonized by the British and one of the many structures they left behind as their legacy is the Frere Hall. The name of the structure was taken from Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere. He used to be the economic administrator for Pakistan. The structure is now more than 150 years old.
The Hall is conveniently located near the Marriott Hotel and Sindh Club. (Sindh Club is an exclusive gentlemen’s club for the British. Locals weren’t allowed to enter until their independence.)
10. Clifton Beach, Karachi
Clifton Beach is a famous tourist attraction in Karachi, Pakistan. Most of the time, local families come here for a weekend retreat and a bonding time with their loved ones. One of the activities here in Clifton Beach is to ride the camel – for a traveler, this is a must try.
The beach is part of the Arabian Sea and it is located in the town of Saddar. Back in 2003, it was devastated by an oil spill. Good thing the spill is clear now and people can swim the beach without worries.
11. Mohatta Palace
The Mohatta Palace used to be a summer home back in 1927 by a wealthy businessman named Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta. He had his summer home made by architect Agha Ahmed Hussain and he lived there for twenty years until he had to leave for India after the Pakistan movement. The palace was made of Jodhpur stone which were pink and had them imported from India. There were also some yellow stones taken from Gizri and over the years, to preserve the Indo-Saracenic design of the palace, it has been constantly renovated and preserved.
12. Lok Virsa Museum
Lok Virsa Museum is a cultural type and heritage of museum in Islamabad. The museum displays the life of a Pakistani – those from the rural areas and the way of life in the city. It is shown in statue forms, photographs, paintings, clay items and clothing. They also call it the Folk Heritage Museum and it is being managed by the National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage. The whole museum has an area of 20,000 square feet and it was founded in 1982. It is one of the places to visit in Pakistan.
13. Empress Market
Empress Market has been Karachi’s trading place since the late 19th century and it still thrives to this day. It was built in honor of Queen Victoria, the Empress of India. Empress Market was built on a historical place – during The Mutiny of 1857, people were shot by cannon balls at the exact same spot where the market lies now. A few decades after, the market was born through the initiative of Governor James Ferguson. Today, you will find lots of items in the market such as herbs and spices, condiments, textile and a lot more.
14. Tomb of Jahangir
The Tomb of Jahangir is a mausoleum for one of the fearless leaders during the Mughal Era named Jahangir. He ruled from 1605 to 1627 and it was said that Jahangir loved that specific area in Lahore. When he and his wife Nur Jahan visited the place, it was noticed that they were both very happy there. When he died, Jahangir was buried in Dilkusha Garden but his son, Shah Jahan, saw it fit to make a mausoleum in Lahore to honor his father.
15. Patriata
Patriata is a hill situated in Punjab, Pakistan. In order to get to the station, locals and tourists ride the cable car system. It is one of the places to visit in Pakistan because it is a tourist attraction, a certified landmark and a place where Pakistan can boast to its visitors that they have something naturally amazing. The air up there is cool and the ride going up the hill is truly exhilarating – one can see the many beautiful effects of nature. It can also bring you peace of mind.
