Even before the Iranian revolution and the Afghan and Iran-Iraq wars throttled Asian overland travel, Pakistan tended to be seen as simply the last hurdle before reaching India. Few Westerners know much about Pakistan beyond media impressions of guns and drugs, communal violence and martial law, but it contains some of Asia’s most mind-blowing landscapes, extraordinary trekking, a multitude of cultures and a deeply hospitable people. It’s the site of some of the earliest human settlements, home to an ancient civilization rivaling those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the crucible of two of the world’s major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Warning: The security situation in parts of Pakistan has been on the rocks since 1997, with several areas previously considered safe experiencing the same sort of violence and crime as in the long-troubled Sind regions well as the danger of being caught up in sectarian skirmishes, travelers have occasionally been the specific target of violence in Karachi and Lahore. The situation improved a little since the bloodless coup of General Pervez Musharraf in October 1999.
I visited in 1999 and while there were many safe and welcoming attractions in Pakistan, I suggest you exercise caution in troubled areas.
LAHORE
Lahore is the capital city of Punjab province. It has been a great center of importance since the Mughal Rule as it remained the capital of great Akbar for about fourteen years and he and his successors built a lot of beautiful buildings here. Ranjeet Singh captured the city in 1779 and became the emperor of Punjab. During the British Raj, some more buildings appeared here. Now not only it is the capital of Punjab but also a great industrial center. Definitely the place to visit in Pakistan, in my humble opinion…
Lahore Fort
The massive walls of Lahore Fort, built by Emperor Akbar in 1566, when he made Lahore his capital. It was modified by Emperor Jehangir in 1618 and later damaged by the Sikhs and British although it has now been partially restored. The compound is filled with stately palaces, halls and gardens built by the Emperors Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, comparable to great Moghul forts in Delhi and Agra in India. It towers over the old city of Lahore, and the huge rectangle (380 by 330 meters or 1,250 by 1,080 feet), is filled with buildings from a variety of periods. A complete tour of the fort takes about two hours. The entrance is through Alamgiri Gate , the Maktab Khana (Clerks’ House) is a small cloistered court surrounded by arcades in which clerks sat recording the names of visitors.
The Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) is entered via steps rising from the comer of the large courtyard north of the Maktab Khana. This little gem was built by Shah Jahan 1644. The Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is an open pavilion with 40 pillars built by Shah Jahan in 1631 to shelter his subjects when they appeared before him. The marble pavilion and red sandstone balcony at the back of the Diwan-e-Am are originals built by Akbar. Here the emperor appeared daily before the public-who, in his day, crowded under a canvas awning. The serpentine sandstone brackets are typical of Akbar’s commissions, with the depiction of animals showing Hindu influence and reflecting Akbar’s policy of religious tolerance. His two-story Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), built in 1566, is behind the balcony and is reached by stairs on the tight.
Jehangir’s Quadrangle is one of the fort’s most attractive areas, was started by Akbar in 1566 and finished by Jehangir in 1617. The buildings on the east, west and south sides of the court reflect typical Akbari style, with richly carved red sandstone columns and elaborate animal-shaped brackets. The Khwabgah-e-Jahangir (Jehangir’s Room of Dreams) is the main building running the length of the north side of Jehangirs Quadrangle and is typical of Jehangir’s period in its austerity. It is now a museum, containing a huge ivory model of the Taj Mahal, some excellent illustrated manuscripts (including the Akbar Nama , the daily chronicle of Akbar’s reign), some beautiful calligraphy, good miniature paintings and a collection of Moghal coins. The Lal Burj (Red Tower) is the octagonal summer pavilion in the northwest comer of Shah Jahan’s Quadrangle. Built between 1617 and 1631 by Jahangir and Shah Jahan, it forms part of the north wall of the fort. The tower is decorated with beautiful tile mosaics and filigree work. The paintings inside date mostly from the Sikh period, The floor was originally of marble, and the water channels, fountains and central pool must have made it delightfully cool in summer.
The Court of the Shish Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is the best preserved and most interesting place in the fort. The Shish Mahal was built by Shahjahan in 1631 as private apartments for his empress.The whole of the interior is covered with mirror mosaics, carved and gilded plaster-work and pietra dura inlay. The ceiling is original Moghal work; the walls, with frescos and shards of blue and white china- date from Sikh times. The main hall of the palace is open at the front, with five cusped arches supported on delicate fluted double pillars. Pietra dura inlay decorates the base of each pillar and the tops of the arches.The graceful vine pattern over the two outer arches is particularly fine. The floor is a geometric mosaic of marble.
The exit is around to the left (east) behind this wall and down the broad, shallow steps of the Hathi Paer (Elephant Path).This was the private entrance of the royal family and leads straight to the Shah Burj Gate . The mosaics decorating the west and north walls of Lahore Fort are unique in style and variety of design, for here the geometric patterns are liberally interspersed with animal and human figures which, like Mughal miniature paintings, illustrate the ways and amusements of the Mughal court, a curious blend of barbarism and refinement.
Badshahi Mosque
Badshahi Mosque is opposite the main gateway to Lahore Fort. Completed in 1676 under Aurangzeb as the Moghuls’ final architectural fling, it is one of the largest mosques in the world, with huge gateways, four tapering minarets of red sandstone, three vast marble domes and an open courtyard capable of holding at least 60,000 people.
It was damaged and later restored by the British. The rooms above the entrance gate, not open to the public, are said to house the hairs of the Prophet Mohammed and other relics of his daughter Fatima and his son-in-law and cousin Ali.
Lahore Museum
Lahore Central Museum, was originally the Industrial Art Museum of the Panjab. Lahore was important because of the key position of Panjab in the Indian Empire. Recently annexed, efficiently administered in less than 30 years there had been progress in irrigation, land settlement and afforestation. The British were also keen to foster, develop and support local craftsmanship. Many projects were undertaken. There are Gandhara, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Indus valley and Islamic collections, wonderful paintings from Moghul times and from the Panjab Hills, and many wonderful examples of handicrafts, rugs and carvings. The collections of calligraphy are also very fine. The Museums most famous exhibits include a Koran which is a thousand years old, and several sculptures including the emaciated fasting siddhartha from Taxila, the miracle of Sarasvati, and the green goddess, Athena. There are some fine prehistoric displays showing archaeological finds half a million years old from the area around Islamabad, and the struggle for Pakistan is well documented. Outside the museum, not far away, Zamzama, the 18th century firepiece immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as “Kim’s Gun” , takes up a surprising length of space in the middle of road.
The Mausoleum of Jehangir
The entrance of this superb building is through two massive gateway of stones and masonry opposite each other to the north and south, these lead to a square enclosure. From this enclosure is reached another, on a larger scale, giving a full view of the garden in front, about six hundred yard squares which is traversed by four-bricked canals proceeding from the center, and in which innumerable fountains were introduced, but these are now in ruins. The corridor is adorned with a profusion of marble ornaments arranged in a most elegant mosaic, representing flowers and texts from the Koran. In the interior of the mausoleum is an elevated sarcophagus of white marble, enshrining the remains of the Emperor, the Sides of which are wrought with flowers of mosaic in the same style of elegance as the tombs in the Taj at Agra, on two sides are most beautifully carved the ninety-nine attributes of God. Jehangir’s Tomb is magnificent and decorated with pietra dura. The 99 names of God are inlaid in black on the marble and there are beautiful jalis which admit patterns of light. Jahangir’s tomb was built by his son, Shah Jahan.
Jehangir’s wife Nur Jahan was a power in the court and apparently much loved. It is said that when Jehangir was a young man, he handed the lady two of the royal pigeons to hold. While pigeon flying may not be a cult in many countries, it is a sport enjoyed by the gentle folk of the subcontinent. When Jehangir returned for his birds, one had flown. He was surprised. “But how did it fly?” he asked. “Like this!” She laughed and let go the second bird. They say that from then on he was enchanted. Nur Jahan’s Tomb was stripped down to the bricks by the Sikhs, but it has been restored this century. In buildings of this sort, the grave is underneath the mausoleum, in the cellar.
Old Walled City
Old Lahore is at the foot of Lahore Fort, covering one square kilometer of narrow twisting alleys surrounded by a 9 meter high wall with 13 gates, looking in parts almost as it must have done in Moghul days. It’s a fantastic place to get lost. Among the many sites in and around the city are the Golden Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, Brass Bazaar and the people. There are bagpipe players, harmonium makers, dancers, chutney sellers, and streets filled with kites, chickens and other random sights! Golden Mosque (Sunehri Masjid)
The Sunehri Masjid is located in the center of the Old City and was built in 1753. It is famous for its three gilded domes and gold-plated minarets, still shining as brightly as ever. Friday prayers bring the surrounding streets to a standstill.
Wazir Khan Mosque
Wazir Khan’s Mosque is one of the most beautiful in Pakistan. It was built in 1634 by Hakim Ali-ud-din, popularly known as Wazir Khan, who was governor of the area during the reign of Shah Jahan. The Mosque is justifiably famous for the colorful fresco and tile decoration.
Shalimar Garden
“A garden,” Babar wrote, “is the purest of human pleasure.” This impressive Mughal monument, the most complete Moghal garden in the entire Indian subcontinent, is on the Grand Trunk Road five kilometers towards the Indian border from the center of Lahore. Laid out by Shah Jahan in 1642 for the pleasure of royal household, which often stayed here for days or week at a time.
In design, it conforms to the classic Mughal conception of the perfect garden and consist of three terraces of straight, shaded walk sets around a perfectly symmetrical arrangement of ponds, waterfalls, marble pavilions, all surrounded by flower beds and fruit trees and enclosed within a wall and more than 400 fountains. There are also huge fruit trees and little chipmunks scamper about. The emperor’s sleeping quarters are at the center of the west wall, across from the Hall of Public Audience, which just through the wall and out of the garden. The emperor walked through this hall daily to show himself to the public gathered in a separate walled garden outside.
KARACHI
The 18th century folk tale of Mai Kolaci tells of a young fisherwoman who lived in a settlement near Keamari Bunder. When her husband Sanwal, who had gone on a fishing trip, failed to return even after fifteen days she set off looking for him in the churning waves of the Arabian Sea in her battered boat. The violent storm rolled and rocked the fragile craft and blasted it to tiny shreds. The mighty waves threw Mai Kolachi on the shores of Girzi Bunder where, miraculously, she found Sanwal. As a tribute to her gallantly and loyalty, the village elders named their settlement Mai Kolachi Goth. That village has changed its name and dimensions to Karachi, a booming megalopolis. Today, Karachi is known as the city of Quaid as the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born here on December 25, 1876 and also breathed his last here on September 11, 1948. Karachi remained capital of Pakistan since the creation of Pakistan and then it was shifted to Islamabad. Now it is the capital of Sind Province. Sind, the region in the south of Pakistan was known as the “Unhappy Valley” or the “Land of Uncertainties” by ancient traveler. With robbery, smuggling and gun-running amongst Sind’s biggest industries, the province remains a dangerous place to visit to this day. That being said, it was a great place to visit and I thoroughly recommend it for the adventurous traveler!
My first official day in Karachi was VERY interesting. I walked around the Central Karachi region in the morning and went to Empress Market (one of the largest in Pakistan). The atmosphere really reminded me of Myanmar. Dirt and flies EVERYWHERE. However, the kinds of products they were selling looking like it they were right out of a movie. Spices, curries, chickens, goats, pigeons (for pets), lassis, chipatties, naan, etc. It was really fascinating.
A couple of observations that won’t come completely across in the photos were the complete absence of women on the streets. I think I only saw one woman and she was wearing the traditional Muslim garb. People around here tell me that this is quite typical on Sundays - the men go out to buy things and run the morning markets while the women stay at home with the kids. Also, what is also not apparent immediately are the flies everywhere and the dust - it is truly filthy!!! There are also eagles and vultures soaring all over the city and in the air. Enjoy the photos!!
Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum
A good place to start your sight seeing is at the Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum, a monument to Pakistan’s founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah. This curiously shaped monument is set at the top of a stepped pyramid in a small park on MA Jinnah Road just north of Bohri Bazaar. Built between 1958 and 1968 after the design of a Turkish architect, it can be most charitably be described as distinctive. In a nodding concession to traditional styles, the 31 meter high white marble structure is built on a square plan, each with a tall, pointed arch, and supports a semicircular dome, but the overall impression is minimalist and stark. Its ceiling is lined with blue-glazed tiles donated by Japan. The glass and gold chandelier came from China and the silver handrail from Iran.
Zoroastrian Towers of Silence
Like Mumbai (Bombay), Karachi is a center for Zoroastrians or Parsees, who traditionally expose their dead to vultures on hills known as “towers of silence”. You can see two of these in a large compound on Korangi Road - the vultures and buzzards hovering overhead are a dead giveaway (no pun intended) although only Parsees are allowed inside the gates. There is also a Dar-i-Mehtar (Parsee place of worship) on Dr. Daud Pota Road (shown above). In recent years, the number of Parsees living in Pakistan has dropped from 7,000 to about 2,000, most of them in Karachi.
Clifton Beach
This is Karachi’s equivalent to Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles or the Jersey Shore for New Yorkers. Most of the week its deserted except for a handful of homeless people, and when its popular, on Fridays and public holidays from about 4 pm until shortly after sunset. As you can see above, one can hire a camel for rides along the beach. Interestingly, this was the main area for young people to consume alcohol. Under Islamic law, Muslims cannot drink alcohol. However, booze can be bought on the black market and many people bought booze on New Year’s Eve and went to the beach to get drunk. The military, fully expecting this, sent soldiers to patrol the beaches to stop this from happening. Needless to say, the city was pretty much dead for New Year’s Eve!
Defense Housing Society Mosque (Masjid-i-Tuba)
This white-marbled mosque was very impressive! My guide paid off the attendant to let us in after-hours - hence the poor picture quality. However, you can’t fail to be impressed by this mosque in the heart of DHS (Defense Housing), one of Karachi’s most affluent suburbs (some of the suburbs homes are really remarkable built in Islamic style and some even I wouldn’t live in!). Built in the late 1960s, this low-slung mosque is contained under one vast dome with no supporting columns or vaults. With a diameter of 72 meters, the dome is claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world. Constructed of white marble, it has thousands of mirror tiles in its thermally proofed interior giving the impression of twinkling stars. The acoustics are perfect for hearing your own voice!! You can hear massive echoes throughout and hear conversations in the corner of every mosque. It was really kind of surreal. I can’t imagine having mass in there - one would probably pass out.
Streets of Karachi
The streets of Karachi are filled with the vehicles covered head-to-toe in decorative ceramics and paint. Although somewhat gaudy, they clearly illustrate the imagination of the Pakistani people. There is nothing I enjoy more than walking the streets of the local markets to get a flavor for the local culture. Some of the pictures below were taken while I walked near and around Saddar and Empress Market, one of the largest markets in Karachi. Saddar, the city center, is the main shopping area with thriving markets selling carpets, fur coats, leather jackets, snake-skin purses, silk scarves and the country’s biggest range of handicrafts. It also has a number of food stalls and cheap restaurants and the majority of budget hotels. Nightlife in Karachi is an oxymoron.
Another interesting observation was the lack (but beginnings) of the Internet. There are a couple of signs and I even saw a bus for a company (www.netmaze.com) that rented a dumpster truck, emblazoned the bus with their name and filled it with a bunch of guys handing out flyers to cars driving by!!! Unbelievable no one got killed!
Soldiers or policemen with automatic weapons are a common sight in Pakistan. I guess that’s what happens when the country is under military rule. They were especially abundant at night because there are a lot of young people hanging around the city looking for parties.
Colorful buses were everywhere in Pakistan. The vehicles were very similar to the Jeepneys found in the Philippines. Buses and vehicles are decorated with all kinds of lights and enamel that make them all really gaudy. I don’t think I saw a single bus that hasn’t been enhanced (defaced) in this way! It makes fuzzy dice look like nothing! Also, many people are so poor and fares are so high (because of skyrocketing oil prices) that many buses have created a seating arrangement on the roofs of buses. Literally you see buses going by at 80 km/h with people hanging onto dear life sitting on the roof or hanging out of windows!!!
There was also an interesting monument commemorating Pakistan’s entrance into the nuclear weapon family. There are replicas of this monument in every major city in Karachi.
Crabbing in Karachi
A common past time in Pakistan is crabbing. We rented a small boat (less than 15 feet in length) and took it out into the bay. We were accompanied by several Pakistanis who gave us fishing tackle and bait and let us have a try at catching crabs. As you would expect, none of us caught anything but luckily the crew brought plenty of food for us to eat. They prepared a sumptuous meal of crab, fish and bread. Although it sure tasted good at the time, in the back of my mind, I had a nasty feeling that it was going to get everyone sick. Sure enough, the following day more than half of us were suffering from food poisoning. As for myself, it took a few more days for the poisons to hit me but once it did I was out like a light. I suspect this was the origins of the parasite that knocked me out for 10 days. I thoroughly suggest taking the boat out to crab but don’t eat the food. You have been warned!!!
Our crew preparing our feast (parasitic condiments included free of charge), fishing tackle and bait…Karachi style, and the source of the little Green Men!
Around Karachi
Although most of the following places are easily reached on a day trip from Karachi, I suggest you rent a car and a guide. Some of the laws say you must strictly travel with an armed guard in these regions but I was able to do so without one. Nonetheless, its well worth visiting some of these places if you are even mildly interested about anthropology and some of the oldest civilizations in Asia. I rented a driver named Salim who drove me out to Chakundi (tombs), Banbhore (ancient city where Islam was introduced to the Pakistanis/Indians), Haleji Lake (observatory for birds), Thatta, and Makli (ancient temple/mosque city).
Chaukundi
Although some way beyond the city limits, this is the safest excursion from Karachi. The tombs are worth a visit if you don’t mind taking the risk. Graveyards stretch for many kilometers west along the coast right into Baluchistan, but the largest and most impressive tombs and mausoleums are concentrated at the end of a short land off the National Highway to the east of Karachi. They are constructed of slabs of rock, stacked into oblong pyramids of cubical stone (Chaukundi means cubical) and carved with exquisite designs. Their history is unrecorded, but most are believed to date from the 13th to 16th centuries.
Banbhore
Although now a considerable distance inland as a result of silt deposits from the Indus, Banbhore is believed to be the ancient port of Debal, the 8th century landing site of the Arab conqueror Mohammed bin Qasim, who marched north from here to Multan to establish Islam on the subcontinent. It’s interesting for the extensive ruins on three different historical periods so far uncovered - Scythian-Parthian, Hindu-Buddhist, and Islamic - as well as an 8th century mosque believed to be the earliest on the subcontinent. A small museum has various finds from the site including the phallic lingham statue shown below:
Thatta / Shah Jahan Mosque
Thatta was once a large and prosperous city but it declined after the Indus changed course in the early 18th century. Nowadays its interest is more architectural than commercial. According to some accounts, Alexander the Great’s army rested here before marching on into the Makran. The town’s main attraction is Shah Jahan Mosque, shown in my pictures. This mosque was built by the Moghul emperor between 1644 and 1647 and is one of the most magnificent examples of Moghul architecture. Its 93 domes give it superb acoustics. The tile work, a wide range of shades of blue, and the calligraphy are equally impressive. It’s said that Shah Jahan founded it to repay the town when he sought refuge here after arousing the anger of his father.
Makli Hill
This vast necropolis, a couple of kilometers before Thatta on the road from Karachi, covers some 15 square kilometers and is said to contain over one million graves. They are mainly made of sand stone, exquisitely carved with geometric and floral designs like those at Chaukundi. The earliest date to the Summa dynasty which ruled Sind from the mid-14th to early 16th century. The next group dates from the Moghul period. The carvings are so regular that they seem to have been stamped into the stones. Some mausoleums are being restored. Tombs from the Arghun and Moghul periods have beautifully glazed or enameled tiles and bricks, which local artisans still manufacture, particularly the Thatta blue tile.