MULTAN

Multan

Multan
Clockwise from top: Multan Fort, Rukn-e-Alam, Shahi Eid Ghah Mosque, Multan Museum, Multan Clock Tower and State Bank of Pakistan Nickname(s): The City of Sufis, The City of Saints, The City of Tombs,Madinah-Tul-Oleyah Multan Location in Pakistan Country Pakistan
Region Punjab District Multan District Autonomous towns 6 Union councils 4 Government- Nazim --- Naib nazim Multan City is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about 562 km (349 mi) from Islamabad, 356 km (221 mi) from Lahore and 966 km (600 mi) from Karachi. Multan District has a population of over 4.5 million.[citation needed.

Multan is known as the City of Sufis or City of Saints and Madinah-Tul-Oleyah due to the large number of shrines and Sufi saints from the city. The city is full of bazaars, mosques, shrines and ornate tombs. It is located in a bend created by five rivers of the Punjab province. The Sutlej River separates it from Bahawalpur and the Chenab River from Muzaffar Garh. The city has grown to become an influential political and economical center for the country, with a dry port and excellent transport links. Multan is famous for its crops: wheat, cotton and sugar cane as well as mangoes, citrus, guavas and pomegranates.

Multan, being an historic city, attracts a number of tourists every year. When the first settlements established themselves in Multan, access to the city was through a circular road around the rampart that gave access to the city through thirteen gates and even now some of the imposing structures of these gates are still visible and well preserved. The Old City has narrow, colorful bazaars full of local handicrafts and narrow winding lanes. There are many places of historical, cultural and recreational interest in the city. In the bazaars of the Old City one still comes across tiny shops where craftsmen can be seen busily turning out masterpieces in copper, brass, silver as well as textiles in the traditional fashion.

The numerous Sufi shrines within the old city offer impressive examples of workmanship and architecture. The Shams-e Tabriz shrine is built almost entirely of sky-blue engraved glazed bricks. That of Shah Rukn-e Alam (Tughlaq period) has one of the biggest domes in Asia. The shrine of Sheikh Yusuf Gardez is a masterpiece of the Multani style. Other shrines include the Pahladpuri Temple and the Idgah Mosque (1735).

Shah Shams Tabrez
The mausoleum of Shams-ud-Din, commonly known as Shah Shams Tabrez is located about half a mile to the east of the Fort Site, on the high bank of the old bed of the river Ravi. He passed away in 1276 AD and the shrine was built by his grandson in 1 330 AD It was rebuilt by one of his followers in 171 8 AD The Tomb is square, 30 feet in height surmounted by a hemispherical dome. It is decorated with ornamental glazed tiles.

Nishtar Medical College
Nishtar Medical College is a medical school located in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is named after Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, a celebrated companion of Father of the Nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the then Governor of Punjab. It is one of the premier medical schools of the country. The majority of the degrees it awards are in the fields of Medicine (MBBS) and Dentistry (BDS).

The idea of establishing a medical teaching institution in Multan was first put forward by Dr. M. J. Bhutta in 1945. At that time, there was only one medical college in Punjab: King Edward Medical College in Lahore. The Muslim students ratio in KEMC was very low and after the formation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, the majority of doctors left for India, while few Muslim immigrants were of the profession. This vacuum in the availability of medical doctors necessitated more medical colleges in the newly formed Muslim state.

On this basis, Dr. Mohammed Jamaal Bhutta and Col. Dr. Mallick were of the view that Punjab urgently required to meet the immediate needs of the province. The Government of Punjab took this situation seriously and authorized the Governor of Punjab, Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar, to make a historic announcement establishing a modern medical college and hospital in Multan.

SIMLY DAM ISLAMABAD

Simly Dam

Simly Dam

Simly Dam is an 80m high earthen embankment dam on the Soan River, 30 km east of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It is the largest reservoir of drinking water to people living in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. The water stored in this dam is fed by the melting snow & natural springs of Murree hills.

Guest House
There is only one guest house in Simly Dam operated by CDA (Capital Development Authority), Islamabad. Before you plan to stay here, you need to have permission to stay & visit this beautiful guest house from CDA Head Office located in Islamabad.

Location
Simly Dam is located around 30 kilometer (19 miles) east of Islamabad. About 10 to 15 minutes drive from Convention Center Islamabad towards Murree,a road is branching off to the right which is marked Simly Dam Road. Usually, it takes around 30 minutes to reach Simly Dam from this road. The road is not very smooth and has bumps but the surroundings are beautiful .

RAWAL LAKE

RAWAL LAKE

Rawal lake
Rawal Lake in Pakistan is an artificial reservoir that provides the water needs for the cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Korang River along with some other small streams coming from Margalla Hills have been set to form this artificial lake which covers an area of 8.8 km². Korang River is the outlet stream of Rawal Dam. Rawal Lake is located within an isolated section of the Margalla Hills National Park.

Recreation
The area around the lake has been planted with flowering trees and laid out with gardens, picnic spots, and secluded paths. The terraced garden and the lake are used for picnics, fishing and boating. The highest point in the garden offers a panoramic view of the lake, Margalla and Murree hills, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Boating, sailing, water skating and diving facilities are organized by private clubs. To the west of the lake is the Islamabad Club, which offers different sporting facilities.

The Rawal Dam is situated near Islamabad, Pakistan. It is a multipurpose dam as it supplies drinking water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi and irrigated the land as well. The reservoir of this dam is called Rawal Lake which is famous for its beauty and greenery. Many families come to spend time at this lake as it is one of the most beautiful artificial lakes in the area. The lake is situated in the Margalla Hills National Park.

The Rawal dam is a partly arched gravity dam which is an excellent example of stone masonry. The crest level of the dam is 531 m and the maximum height of the crest is around 40 m. two canals are derived from the dam i.e. Left Bank Canal and the Right Bank Canal. These canals run through the Punjab and irrigate a major area.

Many people come here for fishing in the fishing season. The daily fishing fee is only Rs 10 and it is very economical and every one can afford it. For this reason there are many families that plan their picnics at the Rawal Dam Lake.

FAISAL MOSQUE ISLAMABAD

Faisal Mosque

The Shah Faisal Masjid (Urdu: شاه فيصل مسجد) in Islamabad, Pakistan, is one of the largest mosques in the world. It is a state National Mosque. It is a popular masjid in the Islamic world, and is renowned for both its immense size and its architecture. It holds the title for being one of the largest mosques in the world, in terms of area.

History
The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia suggested it during a visit to Islamabad. In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. After four days of deliberation, Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay's design was chosen. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction of Pakistan, led by Azim Borujerdi, and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately $120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. The mosque was completed in 1986, and used to house the International Islamic University. The mausoleum of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, whose 1988 funeral at the site was the largest in the history of Pakistan, is located adjacent to the mosque. Many conservative Muslims criticised the design at first for its non-conventional design and lack of the traditional dome structure, but virtually all criticism was eventually silenced by the mosque's scale, form, and setting against the Margalla Hills upon completion.

Location
It is located at the end of Shaharah-e-Islamabad, putting it at one end of the city and in front of a magnificent backdrop provided by the Margalla Hills. It is a focal point of Islamabad, and likely the most famous and recognized icon of the city.

Design
The Faisal Mosque is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay who won the Aga Khan Architectural Award with this project. The mosque's relatively unusual design fuses contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. However, unlike traditional masjid design, it lacks a dome. The minarets borrow their design from Turkish tradition and are thin and pencil like. The interior of this prayer hall holds a very large chandelier and its walls are decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall, and has the kalimah writtern in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern.
The mosque's architecture is a departure from the long history of South Asian Islamic architecture. It is one of the most outstanding and modern Islamic architecture examples in the world.

PIR SOHAWA

Pir Sohawa

Pir Sohawa is an upland scenic rural location, at an elevation of about 5000 ft, popular for recreational walk and picnics in Islamabad and is located close to Monal village which exists on the slope towards Islamabad city. Actually Pir Sohawa is a village located in district Haripur of Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw Province, formerly called North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. Due to unknown reason, the name of village Pir Sohawa replaced the name of this recreation spot instead of Monal.

A restaurant named as "Monal Restaurant" is located at Pir Sohawa site. Monal Restaurant was completed in 2006. Its spaceous terraces provide a breathtaking view of Islamabad in clear day light and a stunningly beautiful show of the city lights at the bottom, after sunset. One can enjoy the breeze and fragrance, especially during summer's hot days, of thick forest present all around.

Pir Sohawa attracts tourists in winter, as the elevation (+5000 ft) is sufficient for occasional snowfall. Its a popular place among the citizens of Islamabad, as well as the foreign visitors and tourists.

This place is connected to Islamabad by a road, on which is located Daman-e-Koh, a fantastic forest-garden and a picnic point worth visiting. It is a destination point for a hiking trip from the bottom of Margalla Hills climbing 3000 ft almost vertically straight up from the village of Saidpur, Islamabad.

Historically, when there were no roads available, Pir Sohawa top was a midway resting point for travellers of Hazara areas (north of Islamabad), ascending and descending the rear mountains and heading towards Rawalpindi, Pakistan.