Lahore

Lahore, Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan glows in the late afternoon sun with park lawns and trees in the foreground.

Lahore rewards slow wandering through Mughal gates, Sikh tombs and street food, with the cooler months the easiest time to walk it.

The place

Lahore is the capital of Punjab province and the second-largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, home to about 11 million people. Sitting around 217 metres above sea level on the plains of northern Pakistan, it is one of the country's main industrial, educational and economic centres, and many Pakistanis regard it as the cultural heart of the wider Punjab region. The city is busiest in its old quarters and around its great monuments, where the streets fill with traffic, hawkers and families in the evenings. Summers are fierce, so most visitors plan around the cooler months, when walking between the fort and the mosque is comfortable. Its colonial-era buildings, Mughal gardens and bazaars sit close together, so a single day can cover several centuries of change without much travel. Lahore's sprawl is large and its traffic heavy, so journeys take longer than the map suggests, and a fare agreed in advance avoids disputes. The atmosphere of the centre comes from its textures: tea shops with wooden benches, stalls frying samosas, and calls to prayer drifting over the rooftops. Visitors should give themselves time to sit and watch, because the pace of the city is slower than its traffic suggests.

Its story

Lahore's early history is poorly documented, and its origins are argued over rather than known. Alexander's chroniclers, writing about his campaign in the region, mention no notable settlement near the present site, which suggests either that the city did not yet exist or that it was of little note. What is clearer is that the place rose to prominence in the Middle Ages, when it became a regional capital under a series of rulers. Over the following centuries power in the area passed through many hands. The Ghaznavids used Lahore as a base, and later the Delhi Sultanate, Mongol-linked khanates, the Khokhar chiefs and the Timurids each held the city at different times, often in rapid succession. The Mughal Empire brought the most lasting change. Under Akbar, Lahore served as capital, and it grew into one of the great urban centres of its age, full of gardens, mosques and palaces. The Mughal decline left a vacuum. The eighteenth century was a period of contest, with Durrani invaders and Sikh forces fighting over the city, which lost much of its earlier splendour. Its fortunes revived when Ranjit Singh made Lahore the capital of the Sikh Kingdom in the early nineteenth century. He is buried in a tomb beside the fort and the Badshahi Mosque. The British East India Company annexed Lahore in 1849 and made it the capital of Punjab province. Through the colonial period the city became a centre of education and politics. Two landmarks of the independence movement happened here: the Declaration of Indian Independence and the resolution calling for a separate homeland for Muslims. Partition in 1947 brought rioting and displacement.

What to see

Culture

Lahore is a city of festivals, and its calendar mixes Islamic observances with Punjabi traditions, Christian celebrations and national holidays. During public holidays many households light candles and string lights across their homes, and streets and shops can glow for days. The city's Sufi shrines, scattered across old neighbourhoods, hold annual gatherings to honour their saints, and some of these draw very large crowds. The mausoleum at Data Darbar is one such shrine, with an annual event that brings in an enormous number of pilgrims. Eid is marked with decorated public buildings and busy shopping centres, so the city feels festive even in the heat. Many people visit in the early morning, when the crowds are thinner and the courtyards are calmer. Visitors who come during a shrine festival should expect dense crowds, slow movement and a noisy atmosphere, and should keep a respectful distance from pilgrims at prayer. Dress modestly and remove your shoes at mosque and shrine thresholds.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Lahore follows the wider Punjabi style. Women traditionally wear the shalwar kameez, a loose tunic over wide trousers, finished with a dupatta, the long scarf that can be draped over the shoulders or head. Punjabi embroidery, especially phulkari work in silk thread on cotton, has long been a local speciality, and bright dyed cottons and silks are still common for weddings and festivals. Men often wear a kurta with loose trousers, and a waistcoat for formal occasions. Today, people in the city wear a mix of styles. Most women in offices and colleges wear tailored shalwar kameez or fitted tunics with jeans, and younger men favour shirts and trousers, with the traditional kurta for prayer, weddings and family events. Fabrics range from cotton lawn in summer to heavier wool and shawls in winter. For a visitor, the sensible choice is loose, lightweight cotton or linen that covers shoulders and knees, which stays comfortable through the heat. Carry a scarf or dupatta to cover your hair when entering mosques and shrines, and pack a long tunic or shirt. Choose closed, comfortable shoes with good grip, since you will walk on stone floors and remove them often at thresholds.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Lahore is hot for much of the year and very hot in the summer months. The coolest months, roughly December to January with highs near 28–30°C, are the easiest for walking outdoors, and the air is often clearer in winter. July and August bring monsoon rains and humidity, so expect sticky days.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Taxis and shuttles run from the city to the airport, and it is wise to agree the fare before you set off. Trains from major Pakistani cities arrive at the main station, and a modern motorway links Lahore with Islamabad, Faisalabad and Peshawar, so a road journey is a practical option for the last leg.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources