Pakistan is home to many diverse communities with fascinating traditions. Amid Northern Pakistan’s picturesque valleys reside the Wakhi people
The capital of Pakistan, Islamabad is a exceptional beauty of the country. Plenty of terrific sights and greenery is in Islamabad that attra...
Kalash elder judges traditional folk songs at the Biramor Winter Solstice ceremony. Chitral, Pakistan.
The Kalasha of Chitral or simply Kalasha, are an ethnic group living in the Hindu Kush region of Pakistan. They are [probably] an ancient Dard people who speak the Kalasha-mun language, have light …
Foreign Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto addressing the United Nations Security Council, New York, during a meeting held on 12th-13th December 1971. Bhutto is giving a statement relating to...
The Shalimar Gardens (Urdu: شالیمار باغ), sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, were built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 A.D. (1051 A.H.) and was completed the following year. The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni. The Shalamar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort, under the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972. The three level terraces of the Gardens The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces, which are elevated by 4-5 metres (13-15 feet) above one another. The three terraces have names in Urdu as follows: The upper terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure. The middle terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness. The lower terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of life. Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens To irrigate the Gardens, a canal named Shah Nahar meaning Royal canal, later also known as Hansti canal, meaning Laughing canal was brought from Rajpot (present day Madhpur in India), a distance of over 161 kilometers. The canal intersected the Gardens and discharged into a large marble basin in the middle terrace. 410 fountains From this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 120 degrees fahrenheit. It is a credit to the ingenuity of the Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable to fathom how the fountains were operated originally. The distribution of the fountains is as follows: The upper level terrace has 105 fountains. The middle level terrace has 152 fountains. The lower level terrace has 153 fountains. All combined, the Gardens therefore have 410 fountains. Water cascades The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon. The buildings of the Gardens include: Sawan Bhadum pavilions Naqar Khana and its buildings Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers Hammam or Royal bath The Aiwan or Grand hall Aramgah or Resting place Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included: Almond Apple Apricot Cherry Gokcha Mango Mulberry Peach Plum Poplar Quince Seedless Sapling of Cypress Shrubs Sour & sweet oranges Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non odoriferous and fruit giving plants The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to one of the noble Zaildar families in the region, well known as Mian Family Baghbanpura. The family was also given the Royal title of 'Mian' by the Mughal Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Mian family, donated the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan, after pressure was placed on the family by the royal engineers who wished to build on the site due to its good position and soil. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens. The Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years. In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub Khan because leading Mian family members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan. The Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the Gardens, until President Ayub Khan ordered against it in 1958. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along the Grand Trunk Road some 5 kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city.
The Shandur polo festival is an amazing festival celebrated by the tribes of Gilgit and Chitral in the northern areas of Pakistan. The sport had played an essential part in the lives of people from the ancient period till now. Everyone loves to be eager in any type of sport
Sometimes, a goat is just a goat.
Morti, dispersi, campi sott'acqua e aziende agricole distrutte: il Pakistan affronta la crisi climatica e le inondazioni.
