Pakistan traces its history back to 2,500 years B.C., when a highly developed civilization flourished in the Indus Valley. Excavations at Harrappa, Moenjodaro, Kot Diji and Mehr Garh have brought to light, the evidence of an advanced civilization existing even in more ancient times. Around 1,500 B.C., the Aryans overwhelmed this region and influenced the Hindu civilization, whose centre moved to Ganges valley, further east. Later, the Persians occupied the northern region in the 5th century B.C. up to the 2nd century AD. The Greeks came in 327 B.C., under Alexander of Macedonia, and passed away like a meteor. In 712 AD, the Arabs, led by Muhammad Bin Qasim, landed somewhere near modern Karachi and ruled the lower half of Pakistan for 200 years. During this time, Islam took roots in the soil and influenced the life, culture and traditions of the people.
In the 10th century AD, began the systematic conquest of South Asia by the Muslims from Central Asia, who ruled here up to the 18th century. Then the British came and ruled for nearly 100 years over what is Pakistan now.
Independence Movement
The Muslim revival began towards the end of the last century when Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, a renowned Muslim leader and educationist, launched a movement for intellectual renaissance of the Muslims of South Asia. In 1930, the well-known poet-philosopher, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, conceived the idea of a separate state for the Muslims of South Asia. In 1940, a resolution was adopted by the All-India Muslim League, demanding a separate independent home land for the Muslims. After 07 years of un-tiring struggle under the brilliant leadership of Quaid-e-Azam (the great leader) Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan emerged on the world map as a sovereign state, on 14th August, 1947.
Culture and Lifestyle
Pakistan has a wealthy cultural and ethnic background going back to Indus Valley Civilization, 2800 BC – 1800 BC. The region of Pakistan has been invaded in the past, occupied and settled by many different people, including Aryans, Greeks, White Huns, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and various Eurasian groups. And indeed the region has formed a distinct cultural unit within the main cultural complex of South Asia from earlier times. Ancient sites in Pakistan include Buddhist monuments, Hindu/Buddhist temples, Palaces and Monuments built by Emperors, tombs, pleasure grounds and Anglo-Mogul mansions - some in a state of dereliction which makes their former grandeur more emphatic. Sculpture is dominated by Greco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork.
Pakistani society is largely multilingual and multicultural. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.
| Wedding Ceremonies
A Pakistani wedding is a great feast of fun, merriments, and celebrations. The wedding is followed by several pre-wedding customs and rituals which consist of Mayoun, Mehndi, Barat and Walima. The Actual Wedding Ceremony (Barat) takes place on third day. On the wedding day, the bride usually wears the traditional red wedding dress. The bride's gown is very elaborate with a veil and heavy jewelry. The groom wears a traditional turban.
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| Festivals and Events
Pakistan is a home to hundreds of traditional festivals and events throughout the year. Below are links of a few Festival Highlights that take place in Pakistan.
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| Cuisines
The Cuisine of Pakistan can be described as fusion of cuisine from three Asian regions - South Asia, Central Asia, and Middle East. Pakistani cuisine is often spicy and also known for its richness. Within Pakistan, the food also varies greatly from region to region, reflecting the country's ethnic, cultural and culinary diversity. International cuisine and fast food are popular in cities. Blending local and foreign recipes (fusion food) is common in large urban centres.
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-::Pakistan Facts::-
Capital
| Islamabad
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Area:
| 796,096-sq. km.
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Population:
| Estimated Population of Pakistan on Dec 27, 2007 162100000
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Currency:
| Pak Rupees (see Currency Converter)
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Major Cities:
| Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Faislabad, Multan
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Language:
| Urdu (National language), English (Official)
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Climate:
| The climate varies as much as the landscape having hot dry deserts, temperate conditions in the northwest, to arctic extremes in the northern areas. All four seasons can be enjoyedin Pakistan. Spring, March to April, is the rainy season with an average of 38 to 51 cm in the plains region and 152 to 203 cm in the lower Himalayan valleys of Kashmir, Swat, Murree, Kaghan. In summer, from May to September, temperatures can soar to 45 degrees C in the south, however in the Northern regions weather is very pleasant.
In the winter months, from December to February, the jungles and forest pines are lush with greenery and autumn leaves fall in the northern forests from October to November. See Weather Forecast
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Clothing:
| Lightweight, cotton clothes suffice throughout most of Pakistan year round, a sweater might be needed during the evenings in the winter months. During the winter, northern
areas require coats, mittens, scarves and boots. Men wear suits for business meetings, and social events . Casual loose fitting long shirts with baggy pants called shalwar Kameez are worn by men, women and children providing a comfortable modest dress. Loose fitting western jeans and shirts are acceptable. It is preferred but not required that women wear scarves to cover.
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-::Pakistan Major Cities::-
Islamabad and Rawalpindi:
Pakistan’s capital Islamabad is nestled against the backdrop of the Margalla Hills, the foothills of the Himalayas. Modern, spacious, and carefully planned Islamabad, is a city of tree lined streets, huge houses, elegant public buildings, and well-organized shopping malls.
This beautiful city offers some of the best places to go, like the Faisal Mosque one of the largest mosques in the world and the Lok Virsa Museum. It also has other interesting sites such as the Natural Historical Museum, Daman-e-koh, Shakarparian, a Japanese garden, and the Rawal Dam. Being the Federal Capital, Islamabad also has the Presidential Quarters, Parliament House, and Foreign Embassies.
Rawalpindi, a twin city of Islamabad, is the gateway to the historical Silk Route. It presents a sharp dissimilarity to the city of Islamabad. It is the base camp for mountain adventures and excitement. People meet here from all over the world to begin their excursions to the most exciting treacherous peaks in the world, and to some of the most scenic hill stations on earth.
Rawalpindi is famous for a strong military cantonment on the ancient Grand Trunk Road, and the historical Liaqat Bagh lies in the heart of city. The town’s bazaars Saddar, Raja, Sarafa, and Murree Road, offer a superb collection of workmanship from adjoining regions.
Murree, a popular tourist hill-station is also located an hour drive from Islamabad.
Related Information
Lahore - Discover a Land of Wonders
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Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan, is known for its beautiful gardens, exquisite fountains, delicious cuisines, and rich heritage of art and culture. Lahore has remained the capital of Punjab for thousands of years. In the sixteen century, Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, enclosed the city in a red brick wall with 12 gates.
Lahore is fascinating with mazes of interconnecting alleys, multi-storied houses with beautiful antique balconies, submerge with spacious parks, and modern architecture.
Related Information
Peshawar
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Peshawar is the capital of the Northwestern Frontier Province, located approximately 172 km west of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. This city is the home to the Pathan Tribe known as courageous warriors because of their fearlessness. They are a friendly simple people with rich traditions, fond of colorful dress, gold jewelry and henna adornment. Proud of their heritage they live their lives according to the tales revealed to them by their ancestors.
Living peacefully, and in harmony with others, being helpful, kind, and caring is paramount. You will always find them with a smile on their face and ready to tell fascinating stories of hardships endured.
 Attractions
A famous bazaar in Peshawar is the Qissa Khawani Bazaar that extends from the east to west of Peshawar on the street known as ‘romantic story Teller Street’, a name coined years ago when story telling was the cities pass time. Modern show rooms with leather items, dry fruits, garments, jewelry, and other items line the street along numerous eateries serving traditional dishes.
The Peshawar Museum has an invaluable collection of artifacts dating back to 300 B.C. to 300 A.D. from numerous archaeological sites tells the tale of the region’s history.
The Masjid Mahabat Khan, situated in the Andar Shar Bazar was built in 1630 A.D., by Mahabat Khan, who was the Mughal governor of Peshawar at that time. The Masjid is awesome, embellished with ornate ornamentation, and an integrated architectural design, that displays fine detailed work and symmetry.
The work of art was engineered by the famous Emperor, and architect, Shahjehan (1628-1658-AD). The Masjid surrounds a courtyard with a beautiful fountain in its center. It is the most impressive out of numerous other beautiful religious buildings in the area.
The Islamia College is a prestigious institute, founded by Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan, built to educate the residents about our Creator and how we should be will to fight for the cause of freedom. Many of its reknown graduates later joined the Peshawar University.
Famous Khyber Pass, 56 km from Peshawar has been the gateway for migrants and invaders throughout South Asian history.
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Karachi
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Karachi the capital of the Sindh, is the largest city of Pakistan. Karachi’s port, on the Arabian Sea, transports goods to seven other countries. Karachi is also the pinnacle for distribution of goods throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, and land locked Central Asia, making it a strategic centre for commerce and industrial trade. In addition Karachi offers financial and business resources, publishing, media, and television productions, as well as medical and educational research facilities.
Getting There
Karachi is connected to the rest of the world via Jinnah International airport, the largest and the busiest airport of the country. Most of the international flights come to Pakistan at Karachi. Karachi also has a sea port in the arabian sea. The largest shipping ports in Pakistan are the Port of Karachi and the nearby Port Qasim. These seaports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but also serve as ports for Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian countries. Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by Pakistan Railways. The Karachi City Station and Karachi Cantonment Station are the city's two major railway stations. Karachi is also connected to other cities by hiughways.
 Attractions
Tropical plant life flourishes here in this sea port city having numerous gardens and parks with towering palms. Be sure visit the Karachi Zoological Gardens and Kirthar National Park. Karachi offers many pleasant attractions like miles of sea coast beaches, yachting, and deep sea fishing. There are a plethora of places of tourist attractions in Karachi like Mazar-e-Quaid, Bin Qasim Park, Mohatta Palace. Clifton Beach exudes a mesmerizing beauty of Arabian Sea..
 Shopping
Saddar , Bohri Bazaar , Zainab are some of the renowned market places of Karachi . A plethora of items are available with special focus on the local handicraft items designed by the indigenous craftsmen . The shopping malls are also available in Karachi. The popular shopping malss are Park Towers and The Forum.
 What to Eat
Karachi is famous for its cusines. Casbah, Bar -B-Q Tonight , Chawal Inn ,Copper Kettle are some of the important restaurants of Karachi. Biryani and Sohan Halwas are very popular in food items.
 Accomodation
Hotels in Karachi
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Quetta
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Quetta is the capital of Balochistan, situated at an elevation of 5,500 ft (1677m). Quetta has a dry climate with no factory chimneys to pollute its fresh and invigorating mountain air. Winter sets in by November and lasts till end February. Snowfall is light, though it is not unusual to have one as late as March.
Getting There
Quetta has the fourth largest airport in Pakistan. Visitor can come to quetta by air via Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad. Domestic flights are available on daily basis. PIA also runs direct flights from Dubai to Quetta.
Quetta is also connected to other majors cities of Pakistan by road and railways.
Shopping
Some prominent bazaars of Quetta are located on the roads Shahrah-e-Iqbal (the Kandahari Bazaar) and Shahrah-e-Liaquat (the Liaquat and Suraj Gang Bazaar, Alamdar road (little Tokyo). Here, tourists can find colourful handicrafts, particularly Balochi mirror work and Pashtun embroidery which is admired all over the world. The Pashtun workers are prominently expert in making fine Afghan carpets, with their pleasing and intricate designs, fur coats, jackets, waist-coats, sandals and other creations of traditional Pashtun skills. local handicrafts, specially green marble products, mirror work and embroidered jackets, shirts, and hand bags, pillow covers, bed sheets, dry fruits, etc. Balochi carpets are made by the nomadic tribes of this area.
Attractions
About 50 km, from Quetta is the valley of Pishin, which is surrounded by thousands of acres of vineyards and orchards, made by boring holes into rocks to bring to the surface the deep water.
Hanna Lake nestles in the hills ten kilometres (six miles) east of Quetta, a startling turquoise pool within bare brown surroundings. There is a lakeside restaurant with picnic tables shaded by pine trees.
What to Eat
For those interested in local cuisine, there are many sumptuous dishes to feast upon. The "Sajji" (leg of lamb), Hazaragi Aash, Mantho is said to be very good by locals.
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