"Heart of Pakistan" a Lahore Travel Page by JohnniOmani

Lahore is the not the capital city of Pakistan but it is without a doubt the cultural and artistic center in the country. Lahore has beautiful architecure and history as well as Islamic mysticism. Lahore has qawwali (Islamic transe singing and dancing) and Sufism that will blow your mind. The Old City will lead you to an adventure that will more than likely end up in a shop drinking tea and chatting with a local or men from exotic countries like Turkmenistan or Tajikistan. If you long been travelling and moving overland on a shoestring and not enjoying the good life than Lahore is the place to break the drought. There are numerous great restaurants to soak up the local atmosphere and you can find everything from pizza to steak to lobster in most of the stylish but cheap restaurants. It has some of the most gorgeous architecture on the subcontinent and it is more than just a jumping off point into neighbouring India. Lahore is a must see in Pakistan and it deserves at least 3 full days to explore.

Built, damaged, demolished, rebuilt and restored several times before being given its current form by Emperor Akbar in 1566 (when he made Lahore his capital), the Lahore Fort is a star attraction of the Old City. The fort was modified by Jehangir in 1618 and later damaged by the Sikhs and the British, although it has now been restored. It is comparable to other Mughal monuments such as the fort in Delhi and Agra in India. It contains some of Lahores ancient remains. The fort has an appealing abandoned atmosphere and it is a fabulous place to simply wander around. The site is impressive and it is a reminder of a great era.

Old Lahore spreads out from the foot of the fort. Its a brilliant place to simply get lost and one good way to relocate yourself after certaintly getting lost is to look for the gates. Delhi Gate is in the east and it leads to the 17century Royal baths to the mosque of Wazi Khan and Sunehri Masjid or Golden Mosque. Bhatti Gate in the south leads to Faqir Khana Musuem and eventually to Heera Mandi or the dancing girls quarter (red light district). Many dancing girls are essentialy prostitutes but as this is illegal they assume the title of dancing girls or performing artists and everyone turns a blind eye! Overall, the old city is good fun and great way to meet the locals.