About Lahore
Lahore has been the capital of Punjab for nearly 1,000 years. Besides being the Mughal show-window, Lahore is the cultural, academic and intellectual centre of Pakistan. For 200 years, beginning from about 1525 AD, Lahore remained a thriving cultural centre of the great Mughal Empire, when the city was beautified with palaces, gardens, monuments and mosques. During the British regime, many monuments sprang up in Lahore which blended beautifully with the Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture.

Legend has it that the city was founded by two sons of Rama about 4,000 years ago. Reminiscence of its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple (attributed to Rama, the legendary hero of Ramayana) found in the northern part of the Royal Fort. Historically, it has been proved that Lahore is about 2,000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese Pilgrim, has given a vivid description of Lahore city, which he visited in the early 7th century AD. Abu Rehan Al-Biruni, in his Tarikh-e-Hind, at the time of Mahmud Gazni's invasion, also mentioned Lahore in detail.

Lying on the main trade and invasion route through South Asia, Lahore has been ruled, built and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes. From 1021 to 1186, it was governed by Mehmud of Ghazni and the Ghaznavid dynasty, then by Muhammad of Ghor and finally by the various Sultans of Delhi. However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the rule of the great Mughals (1524-1752), who were fond of art, architecture and culture and gave Lahore some of its finest monuments that are extant today.

Lahore At A Glance

Colonial Heritage

There are a number of beautiful buildings that Lahore has inherited from the British during their rule. Punjab University (Old Campus), built in 1882, is the oldest university of Pakistan. Lahore High Court, built in 1874 is the oldest superior court in Pakistan and the General Post Office, built in 1892 is one of the oldest buildings erected during the British Rule. Zamzama (Kim’s Gun) was cast in wax-technique in bronze in 1757. Government College, established in 1864, is the oldest higher education institution in Pakistan. Aitchison College established in 1886 stands over 186 acres.

Traditional and Modern Restaurants
Lahoris are known world over for their taste & love for eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, the turn of the century has seen the appearance of Western fast food chains, such as Mcdonald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway Sandwiches, Dunkin Donuts, Nando’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken in new shopping centres all over the city. A recent tourist attraction in Lahore are the famous food Street in the old historic districts of Lahore (Gawaalmandi, Anarkali, and Badshahi). Food Streets have undergone massive restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only, with innumerable cafes serving renowned local delicacies under the lights and

balconies of restored havelis (traditional residential dwellings).
Some of the trendiest restaurants in Lahore are concentrated on the MM Alam Road in Gulberg. Here dozens of world-class culinary establishments, ranging from western franchises to very traditional, ethnic, or theme restaurants, attract all manner of Lahore’s citizens, from affluent yuppies and hip teenagers to entire families celebrating a night out.