SkyscraperCity Forum banner

Lahore

1M views 7K replies 308 participants last post by  Gss bouncers 
#1 · (Edited)
LAHORE لاھور‎
Lahore (Urdu, Punjabi: لاھور‎) is the capital city of the Pakistani province of Punjab, the second largest metropolitan area in the country and 14th most populous city in the world. It is an important historical center in South Asia. With a rich history dating back over a millennium, Lahore is a main cultural centre of the Punjab region and Pakistan. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains an economic, political, transportation, entertainment, and educational hub. It is referred to as the "Mughal City of Gardens" due to the historic presence of gardens in and around the city dating back to the Mughal period. Lahore successively served as a regional capital of the empires of the Shahi kingdoms in the 11th century, the Ghaznavids in the 12th century, the Ghurid State in the 12th and 13th centuries and the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. From 1802 to 1849, Lahore served as the capital city of the Sikh Empire. In the mid-19th and early 20th century, Lahore was the capital of the Punjab region under the British Raj. Mughal structures such as the Badshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens, the mausoleum of Emperor Jehangir and Nur Jahan, Chauburji Gate, and the walled city are some of the major tourist attractions in the city. Lahore is also home to many British colonial structures built in the Indo-Saracenic style, such as the Lahore High Court, the General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Lahore Railway Station, and many older universities and colleges including the University of the Punjab, Govt College and King Edward Medical University. The Lahore Zoo, thought to be the fourth oldest in the world, is also situated here. Lahore is referred to as the cultural heart of Pakistan as it hosts most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, music, film-making, gardening and intelligentsia of the country. The city has always been a centre for publications where 80 percent of Pakistan's books are published, and it remains the foremost centre of literary, educational and cultural activity in Pakistan. It is also an important religious centre as it is home to hundreds of temples, mosques, churches and shrines like Data Durbar. According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was 6,319,000. In July 2014, Index Mundi put the population of the city at 7,566,000. An estimate in January 2015 gave the population of the Lahore agglomeration as 10,052,000. It is ranked 34 in the most populated urban areas in the world and the 8th largest city within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The area of Lahore has almost doubled in the last 12 to 14 years. In 2010, Lahore was ranked as a Gamma+ world city. The Guardian has rated Lahore as the 2nd best tourist destination in Pakistan after Taxila.
 
See less See more
1
#2,943 ·
Pre-partition beautiful Historial bldgs. Now in sad state due to criminal neglect.
Jans Raj Building




Sain Das Gymnasium


Bradlaugh Hall on Rattigan Road






Kothi Sir,Chadi Lal near Jain Mandir


Rattan Chand Da Khooh(Well), Anarkali



THESE BUILDINGS SHOULD BE PROTECTED FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, AS ITS LAHORE'S HERITAGE.

It also could generate huge tourism interest in Lahore and thus create jobs & prosperity, if they were to be protected and perhaps preserved for creative business purposes.

Damn that lazy heritage ministry, good for nothing. :bash:


Lahore: The century-old Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, which bore witness to the freedom struggle and valiant leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai, Surendranath Banerjee, Jawaharlal Nehru and Bhagat Singh, is in a dilapidated condition now and has become a sanctuary for criminal activities.

The building which was a centre of cultural activity for over half a century, has seen a complete turn of fate. What should have been preserved as a museum of political revolution in Lahore now lies in shambles, a feature in the Daily Times said.

Closed since 2009, the building has become a sanctuary for criminals. There are around 25 to 30 families living there, and there is also a printing press.

The issue of preserving the hall has been raised in the Punjab assembly, and the government has been asked to take concrete steps to preserve the national asset.

Named after Charles Bradlaugh, a British parliamentarian, it was inaugurated in 1900 by Surendranath Banerjee, the then president of the Indian National Congress.

Bradlaugh was a staunch supporter of the freedom movement.

Unlike his fellow British conservatives, Bradlaugh belonged to a different school of thought. He was one of the most famous atheists of his time who refused to take oath on the Bible when elected to parliament. He was also one of those parliamentarians who said Indians should be allowed to choose their own fate.

The British government could not appreciate his sympathy for Indians, and so they initially took away from him the contracts of laying down railway tracks. Later, it ordered him to leave the country.

Perhaps the greatest contribution to this hall came from Lala Lajpat Rai.

As part of Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement, he founded inside the hall the National College to impart quality education to Indians who did not want to join British institutions.

Former Indian prime minister and freedom fighter Inder Kumar Gujral described the hall in a different tone. He said this was where his political journey began, where he and others formed their first students' union, and where they had heard the revolutionary speeches of Jawaharlal Nehru for the first time.

After Partition in 1947, the famous hall reopened as the Milli Technical Education Institute. However, because of a dispute between the directors, one of them took possession of the hall and rented it out to private academies.

Finally, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), claiming to be the legal owners of the property, took possession of the building and it has been closed since 2009. (IANS)
 
#2,945 ·
^^ doobtay imaratoan ko tinkay ka sahara bhi bohat hai

Sewak Ram Building shows, if taken care of, could be put to better use.
Old buildings prove that over & over again, that inspite of extreme abuse & neglect, they still are lot stronger & safer than many poorly constructed ugly building that our cities are plagued with.
 
Top