Tourism in Pakistan - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tourism in Pakistan has been stated as being the tourism industry's "next big thing". Pakistan with its diverse cultures, people and landscapes has attracted 0.7 million tourists to the country, almost double to that of a decade ago.

Pakistan's tourism industry was in its heyday during the 1970's when the country received unprecedented amounts of foreign tourists, thanks to the Hippie trail

Hippie trail

The hippie trail is a term used to describe the journeys taken by hippies and others in the 1960s and 1970s from Europe overland to and from southern Asia, mainly India, Pakistan and Nepal...

. The main destinations of choice for these tourists were the Khyber Pass

Khyber Pass

The Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world....

, Peshawar

Peshawar

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....

, Karachi

Karachi

Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...

, Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

, Swat

Swat (Pakistan)

Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora...

and Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...

.

The country's attraction range from the ruin of civilization such as Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro is an archeological site situated in what is now the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the...

, Harappa

Harappa

Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...

and Taxila

Taxila

Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...

, to the Himalayan hill stations, which attract those interested in winter sports. Pakistan is home to several mountain peaks

Mountain ranges of Pakistan

Pakistan is home to many mountains above . Five of the fourteen eight-thousanders are in Pakistan, four of which are in Karakoram near Concordia....

over 7000 m, which attracts adventurers and mountaineers from around the world, especially K2

K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...

. The north part of Pakistan has many old fortresses, ancient architecture and the Hunza

Hunza Valley

The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Hunza valley is situated to the north of the Hunza River, at an elevation of around . The territory of Hunza is about...

and Chitral valley, home to small pre-Islamic Animist Kalasha

Kalasha

Kalasha, also spelled as Kalash and kalasa , is a metal pot with a large base and small mouth, large enough to hold a coconut. Sometimes "Kalasha" also refers to such a pot filled with water and topped with a coronet of mango leaves and a coconut...

community claiming descent from Alexander the Great. The romance of the historic Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is timeless and legendary, Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

province has the site of Alexander's battle

Battle of the Hydaspes River

The Battle of the Hydaspes River was fought by Alexander the Great in 326 BC against King Porus of the Hindu Paurava kingdom on the banks of the Hydaspes River in the Punjab near Bhera in what is now modern-day Pakistan...

on the Jhelum River

Jhelum River

Jehlum River or Jhelum River , ) is a river that flows in India and Pakistan. It is the largest and most western of the five rivers of Punjab, and passes through Jhelum District...

and the historic city Lahore

Lahore

, Pakistan's cultural capital, with many examples of Mughal architecture

Mughal architecture

Mughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkish and Indian architecture, is the distinctive style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is symmetrical and decorative in style.The Mughal dynasty was...

such as Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens

Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)

The Shalimar Gardens , sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 CE and was completed the following year...

, Tomb of Jahangir

Tomb of Jahangir

Tomb of Jahangir, is the mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1627. The mausoleum is located near the town of Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Pakistan. His son Shah Jahan built the mausoleum 10 years after his father's death. It is sited in an attractive walled garden....

and the Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort

The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...

. Before the Global economic crisis Pakistan received more than 500,000 tourists annually. However, this number has now come down to near zero figures since 2008 due to instability in the country and many countries declaring Pakistan as unsafe and dangerous to visit.

In October 2006, just one year after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake

2005 Kashmir earthquake

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...

, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan" in order to help the country's tourism industry. The five sites included Taxila

Taxila

, Lahore, The Karakoram Highway

Karakoram Highway

The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both...

, Karimabad

Karimabad (Hunza)

Karimabad is the capital of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. Karimabad is also known as Baltit. It is named after Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual head of Shia Ismaili Nizari community. The Guardian ranked it as the 12th Best Tourist Site in Pakistan.-See also:*Hunza...

and Lake Saiful Muluk. To promote Pakistan's unique and various cultural heritage, the Prime Minister launched the "Visit Pakistan" marketing campaign in 2007. This campaign involved various events throughout the year including fairs and religious festivals, regional sporting events, various arts and craft shows, folk festivals and several openings of historical museums.

In 2009, The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Pakistan as one of the top 25% tourist destinations for its World Heritage sites. Ranging from mangroves in the South, to the 5,000-year-old cities of the Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...

which included Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro

and Harappa

Harappa

Major attractions

Pakistan is such a diverse region, it is the epicenter of various religions and settlements long before the creation of the nation that exists today. Today, Pakistan is formed of four large provinces - Sindh

Sindh

Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...

, Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan

Balochistan (Pakistan)

Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...

and four territories - Islamabad Capital Territory

Islamabad Capital Territory

The Islamabad Capital Territory is one of the two federal territories of Pakistan. It includes Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and covers an area of 1,165.5 km² of which 906 km² is Islamabad proper...

, Federally Administered Tribal Areas

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...

, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The cultural and physical diversity of Pakistan has developed the country into a tourist hot spot for foreign travellers as well as adventurers.

Currently Pakistan has six major cultural sites that are categorised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include:

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro
Mohenjo-daro
Mohenjo-daro is an archeological site situated in what is now the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2600 BC, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, and one of the world's earliest major urban settlements, existing at the same time as the...

of the Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...

.
1st Century Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol.
The ruins of Taxila
Taxila
Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...

from the Gandhara Civilization
Gandhara
Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...
The Lahore Fort
Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...

and Shalimar Gardens
Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)
The Shalimar Gardens , sometimes written Shalamar Gardens, is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 CE and was completed the following year...

in Lahore.
Historic Monuments of the ancient city of Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...

.
The ancient fort of Rohtas
Rohtas Fort
Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful amalgamation of Pashtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian Subcontinent.-Name of fort:...

.

During the period of 1993-2004, Pakistan was unable to submit information to UNESCO which delayed several sites to be categorised as potential World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

s. In 2004, the Ministry of Tourism was given funding to continue its research and ten sites were placed onto UNESCO Tentative List. In total, eighteen sites are awaiting to be categorised as of June 2010 which include:

The 17th Century Mughal built Badshahi Mosque
Badshahi Mosque
The Badshahi Mosque or the 'King's Mosque' in Lahore, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world...

.
The 17th Century Mughal built Wazir Khan Mosque
Wazir Khan Mosque
The Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as ' a mole on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan...

.
The 17th Century Tombs of Jahangir, Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai
Tomb of Jahangir
Tomb of Jahangir, is the mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1627. The mausoleum is located near the town of Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Pakistan. His son Shah Jahan built the mausoleum 10 years after his father's death. It is sited in an attractive walled garden....

.
Hiran Minar
Hiran Minar
Hiran Minar; Urdu: ہرن مینار is set in peaceful environs near Lahore in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. It was constructed by Emperor Jahangir as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deer....

and Tank, built by Mughal Emperor Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...

in commemoration of his favourite antelope in the city of Sheikhupura
Sheikhupura
Sheikhupura or Shekhupur , formerly Kot Dayal Das or Singhpuria or Virkgarh , is an industrial city in the province of Punjab slightly northwest to Lahore in Pakistan. It is known for its historical places, and is commonly known locally as Qila Shaikhupura, because of the fort in the city,...

.
14th Century Tomb of Hazrat Rukn-e-Alam
Rukn-e-Alam
Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....

.
One of the world's largest forts in the world, Rani Kot Fort
Ranikot Fort
RaniKot The Great Wall of Sindh also known as Deware Sindh in sindhi language is the world's largest fort with a circumference of about 26 km or 16 miles. Since 1993, it has been on the list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites.- Location :...

.
17th Century Mughal built Shah Jahan Mosque
Shahjahan Mosque
The Shah Jahan Mosque was built in the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is located in Thatta, Sindh province, Pakistan. It has been on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage list since 1993....

, located in the ancient city of Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...

.
15th and 18th Century Chaukhandi Tombs
Chaukhandi tombs
The Chaukhandi tombs are situated east of Karachi on N-5 National Highway near Landhi Town in Pakistan. The Chaukhandi tombs are remarkable for the elaborate and exquisite stone carving....

of several Sindhi and Balochi tribes.
Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

archaeological Site of Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh
Mehrgarh , one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on the "Kachi plain" of Balochistan, Pakistan...

.
Archaeological site of Rehman Dheri
Rehman Dheri
Rehman Dheri is an Pre-Harappan Archaeological Site situated near Dera Ismail Khan in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.This is one of the oldest urbanised centres found to date in South Asia. Dated about 4000 BC, the site is situated north of Dera Ismail Khan...

.
Archaeological site of Harappa
Harappa
Harappa is an archaeological site in Punjab, northeast Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The site takes its name from a modern village located near the former course of the Ravi River. The current village of Harappa is from the ancient site. Although modern Harappa has a train station left from...

.
Archaeological site of Ranigat
Ranigat
The archaeological site of Ranigat, meaning "Queen's Rock," is located in Tehsil Totalai in the Buner District of Pakistan.- Site Description :...

.
Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts
Shahbazgarhi
Shahbazgarhi is a village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It lies at 33°54'57N 72°29'10E and has an altitude of 293 metres .It is about 12 km from Mardan city...

.
Mansehra
Mansehra
Mansehra city is located at in Mansehra District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is very near to Abbottabad city. It is a major stop for tourists on the Karakoram Highway which leads to China...

Rock Edicts.
Baltit Fort
Baltit Fort
Baltit Fort or Balti Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.In former times survival of the feudal regimes of Hunza was ensured by the impressive Baltit fort, that sit on top of Karimabad. The foundations of the fort are said to date back around 700 years, but...

, an ancient Tibetan styled fort in the Hunza Valley
Hunza Valley
The Hunza Valley is a mountainous valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The Hunza valley is situated to the north of the Hunza River, at an elevation of around . The territory of Hunza is about...

.
Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead and the Tomb and Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari in Uch Sharif
Uch
Uch or Uch Sharif ) is located in 75 km from Bahawalpur in Bahawalpur District, South Punjab, Pakistan Uch is an important historical city, being founded by Alexander the Great. Formerly located at the confluence of the Indus and Chenab rivers, it is now removed to Mithankot, some 100 km...

.
Port of Banbhore.

Furthermore, there are several landmarks and structures that have not yet made the UNESCO Tentative List. Long before the creation of Pakistan in 1947, there were plenty of cultures and religions that existed before the Partition of India

Partition of India

The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...

. Pakistan being the epicenter of various wars led to several dynasties and tribes ruling its lands. They left various landmarks behind which some have become national icons whilst others needing the attention of concerned authorities. Some of these include:

Faisalabad Clock Tower
Clock Tower, Faisalabad
The Faisalabad Clock Tower is a clock tower in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, and is one of the oldest monuments still standing in its original state from the period of the British Raj...

and the Eight Bazaars
Altit Fort
Altit Fort
Altit Fort is an ancient fort above Karimabad in the Hunza valley in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. It was home to the hereditary rulers of the Hunza state who took the title Mir...

in Hunza Valley
17th and 18th Century Tombs of Talpur Mirs
Tombs of Talpur Mirs
The tombs of Talpur Mirs are a collection of tombs of the ruling Talpur Mirs of Sindh and are located in the neighbourhood of Hirabad in the city of Hyderabad, Sindh. All tombs are enclosed in an area preserved by the city municipality to promote them as a tourist attraction...
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is the mausoleum of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is located near the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan...
Mughal built tomb of Asaf Khan
Empress Market
Empress Market
The Empress Market is a famous marketplace situated in the Saddar Town locality of Karachi, Pakistan. The market traces its origins to the British Raj era, when it was first constructed. Today, it is amongst the most popular and busy places for shopping in Karachi and reflects as one of the few...

built during the rule of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
The tomb of Qutb-ud-din Aibak the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave dynasty.
Sikh built Mohatta Palace
Mohatta Palace
The Mohatta Palace is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was built by Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, an ambitious self-made businessman from Marwar as his summer home in 1927. The architect of the palace was Agha Ahmed Hussain. However, Mohatta could enjoy this building for only about two...
18th Century Omar Hayat Mahal
Omar Hayat Mahal
Omar Hayat Mahal is a 19th century wooden architectural wonder of Chiniot District, a in Pakistan. It is also known as Gulzar Manzil....
19th Century Italian chateau Noor Palace
Noor Mahal
The Noor Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawab of Bahawalpur princely state, during British Raj.-History:...
Derawar Fort
Derawar fort
Derawar Fort is a large square fortress in Pakistan near Bahawalpur. The forty bastions of Derawar are visible for many miles in Cholistan Desert. The walls have a circumference of 1500 metres and stand up to thirty metres high....
Mughal-built Hiran Minar
Hiran Minar
Hiran Minar; Urdu: ہرن مینار is set in peaceful environs near Lahore in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. It was constructed by Emperor Jahangir as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deer....
One of the oldest salt mines in Asia, Khewra Salt Mines
Khewra Salt Mines
Khewra Salt Mines is a salt mine located in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab in Pakistan, about from Islamabad and from Lahore. It attracts up to 40,000 visitors per year and is the second largest salt mine in the world...
The 3000BC built fort of Kot Diji
Kot Diji
The ancient site at Kot Diji was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The people of this site lived about 3000 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground , and outer area...

and Faiz Mahal in Khairpur
16th Century built fort at Shardu
Skardu Fort
Skardu Fort or Karpachu Fort is a fort in Skardu city in Gilgit-Baltistan of the disputed Kashmir region that dates from the 16th century CE. An ancient mosque is also present inside the fort. The fort and its mosque are located on the eastern face of the Khardong hill 40 ft above Skardu city...

Post-independence Pakistan retained its heritage by constructing various sites to commemorate its independence by blending various styles and influences from the past. Some of these include:

Minar-e-Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed...

in Lahore.
Faisal Mosque
Faisal Mosque
The Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in Pakistan and is located in the national capital city of Islamabad.Faisal Mosque is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan...

in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

.
The mausoleum
Mazar-e-Quaid
Mazar-e-Quaid or the National Mausoleum refers to the tomb of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is an iconic symbol of Karachi throughout the world. The mausoleum , completed in the 1960s, is situated at the heart of the city. it is white in colour.- External links :* * * *...

of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Bab-e-Pakistan
Bab-e-Pakistan
The Bab-e-Pakistan The Bab-e-Pakistan The Bab-e-Pakistan (Urdu: Gateway of Pakistan is a national monument in Lahore, Pakistan which is being built on the site of one of the major refugee camps which operated in the aftermath of Partition of India...

a memorial site for the victims of the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...

.
Pakistan Monument in Islamabad.
The mausoleum
Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal
The Tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is a simple but impressive structure located in Lahore, Pakistan in the Hazuri Bagh lawn between the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort where both the grand structures face each other. Official guard is maintained by Pakistan Rangers...

of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Infrastructure and the economy

Tourism is a growing industry in Pakistan. With more and more foreign investment and funding, Pakistan was able to build its major road and air networks to cater mass movements of cargo and inter-city travel. Roads are being developed by several consultants from the Northern Areas

Northern Areas

Gilgit-Baltistan , is the northernmost political entity within Pakistan. It borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the...

all the way down to the Port of Karachi

Port of Karachi

The Port of Karachi is Pakistan's largest and busiest seaport, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo . It is located between the Karachi towns of Kiamari and Saddar, close to the main business district and several industrial areas. The geographic position of the port places it in close...

. However, till this date, the government has not be able to take the tourism market seriously within Pakistan. Pakistan is home to a diverse number of tourist attractions which have not been funded or protected due to the government giving the tourism market a low priority.
Several statistics from the last decade show tourism is a "market led industry and not supply driven" which has led a large decline in travel to Pakistan. This has led to fewer tour agencies being set up and development of historical sites. It has been estimated that the public and private sectors have gradually earned less income from the tourism market causing less investment and innovation within the industry. This has led to several sites to depreciate over time and the lack of Minimum International Standards have left many sites in poor states. The latest budget showed that less money was being spent on research and marketing and more on defence and other fixed markets.

The 2008 World Economic forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) ranked Pakistan 103 out of 124 countries to visit. This low figure was due to a weak travel and tourism infrastructure, low branding and marketing effectiveness and low priority the government gave to the travel and tourism industry. Despite various campaigns such as the Visit Pakistan 2007 scheme the number of tourists dropped each year. This year it dropped by 6% as compared to the figures of last year. The lack of facilities within Pakistan cannot compete those of international standards. With a poor tourism infrastructure the provision of standard and competitive hotel rooms in Pakistan, the national and cultural resources being reduced, the security situation prevailing and rising inflation are the main factors reducing tourism within Pakistan.

Many critics have encouraged the government to again attract tourists to Pakistan by initiating the sponsorship of new businesses within the tourist market. Building and maintaining the road and air networks to meet international standards. The maturation of human and natural resources can also contribute in development of this feeble industry. Advertising campaigns need to attract tourist by developing holiday packages tailored to explore the greater regions of the country.

Ministry of Tourism

In September 2004 with the bifurcation of the Minorities, Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs, Tourism was given a separate status of Ministry of Tourism

Ministry of Tourism (Pakistan)

The Ministry of Tourism was a federal government agency in Pakistan. The ministry has been abolished under Constitutional requirements in Pakistan on June 30, 2011.- External links :* *...

. The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for the policy formulation, development, marketing and promotion of both foreign and domestic tourism besides coordination and regulating of federal and provincial governments and private sector activities responsible and involved in tourism. Within the overall set up the tourism wing of the ministry is in collaboration with its field organisations making it completely responsible for the development of the tourism industry.

Tourism by subdivisions

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

is subdivided into four provinces, one federal capital territory

Capital territory

A capital territory is normally a specially designated territory where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in the federal model of government, no one state or territory takes pre-eminence because the capital lies within its borders...

, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas. The four large provinces are what make up the majority of Pakistan which include Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

and Sindh

Sindh

. The Islamabad Capital Territory

Islamabad Capital Territory

is home to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad

Islamabad

Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

. Finally, leaving Federally Administered Tribal Areas

Federally Administered Tribal Areas

, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan the minor territories under Pakistan control

Government of Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...

Balochistan

Balochistan is the largest province by geographical area of Pakistan, constituting approximately 43% of the total area of Pakistan. Balochistan is home to one of the oldest Neolithic

Neolithic

The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

(7000 BC to c. 2500 BC) sites in archaeology. Mehrgarh

Mehrgarh

Mehrgarh , one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology, lies on the "Kachi plain" of Balochistan, Pakistan...

and Nausharo

Nausharo

Nausharo is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is well known as an archaeological site for the Harappan period . The excavations were carried out between 1985 and 1996 by a French team of archaeologists, under the direction of Jean-François Jarrige...

, was an ancient city linked to the Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

. Another ancient sites dating back 800 years are the Nausherwani tombs

Nausherwani tombs

Nausherwani tombs or Noshirwani tombs are located near Qila Ladgasht in Mashkel tehsil, Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan.The Nausherwani tombs are a set of nine tombs dating back nearly 800 hundred years. According to district gazetteer of Kharan there were nine tombs of which two have...

at Qila Ladgasht

Qila Ladgasht

Qila Ladgasht is small town located in Mashkel tehsil in Kharan District, Balochistan, Pakistan.The population of Kharan district was estimated to be over 250,000 in 2005. Over 99% of the people of the area are Muslims. The main Baloch tribes of the district are Nosherwani and Mengal.The...

. There was also an ancient port at the site of Oraea

Oraea

Oraea was the name of a sea port near the modern-day city of Ormara, Balochistan province of Pakistan, important in the Hellenistic era in Indian Ocean trade. It is mentioned briefly in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea:- External links:*...

which proved to be a useful port during the Hellenistic civilization

Hellenistic civilization

Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...

.

Quetta

Quetta

is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...

is the provincial capital of Balochistan. There are a number of sites of interest including the protected Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park

Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park

Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, is a national park of Balochistan, Pakistan. -External links:* کوہ چلتن* *...

, Hanna Lake

Hanna Lake

Hanna Lake is a lake near Quetta city in Pakistan and is one of the main attractions in the city and a reservoir was Constructed by the British Empire....

, Quetta Geological Museum, Balochistan Arts Council Library, Quetta Archaeological Museum as well as Command and Staff College Museum. The Quaid-e-Azam Residency

Quaid-e-Azam Residency

Quaid-e-Azam Residency is located in Ziarat, Balochistan, Pakistan.The Residency where Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah spent the last days of his life. It is the most famous landmark of City. The residency was constructed in 1892. The whole building is actually a wooden structure beautifully...

is another major site in Balochistan in the city of Ziarat

Ziarat

Ziarat is the capital of Ziarat District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is located at 30°22'47N 67°43'38E with an altitude of 2543 metres and is a famous holiday resort of Balochistan and nearly every trip from Karachi to Quetta stops at Ziarat...

. Ziarat is also famous for the juniper

Juniper

Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...

forests which are the oldest and largest in the world. Sibi

Sibi

Sibi is a city of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100...

, is an important historical city in Balochistan. The Jigra Hall has a collection of pieces found at the archaeological sites of Mehrgarh, Nasshero and Pirak. The annual Sibi Festival marks the famous Horse and Cattle Show.

There are a number of mountain passes within Balochistan

Balochistan (Pakistan)

. The Bolan Pass

Bolan Pass

The Bolan Pass is a mountain pass through the Toba Kakar Range of Balochistan province in western Pakistan, 120 kilometres from the Afghanistan border....

has been the main entrance to the provincial city of Quetta. There are several others including Lak Pass, Khojak Pass

Khojak Pass

Khojak Pass connects Qila Abdullah with Chaman in the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan.* Khojak Pass is between Quetta and Chaman...

and Harnai Pass. The Balochistan coastline extends from the Sindh

Sindh

province to the Iranian border

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

measuring a total distance of over 750 km. The city of Gwadar

Gwadar

Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...

holds the largest port

Gwadar port

Gwadar Port is a developing warm-water, deep-sea port situated at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, about 460 km west of Karachi and approximately east of Pakistan's border with Iran...

in the province which is based near the ancient area of Makran

Makran

The present day Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in the south of Sindh, Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan, along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire....

. Pasni is another beautiful medium-sized town famous for fishing. Along the Makran Coastal Highway

Makran Coastal Highway

Makran Coastal Highway is a 653 km-long coastal highway along Pakistan's Arabian Sea coastline. It runs primarily through Balochistan province between Karachi and Gwadar, passing near the port towns of Ormara and Pasni....

there are several rock formations as well as Kund Malir

Kund Malir

Kund Malir is beautiful desert beach in Balochistan, Pakistan near Hingol, some 145 km from Zero-Point on Makran Coastal Highway. The Drive between Kund Malir and Ormara is very scenic and may remind you of Grand Canyon, USA. The area is part of Hingol National Park which is the largest in...

and the Hingol National Park

Hingol National Park

Hingol National Park or Hungol National Park covers about 1,650 km². and is the largest of National Parks of Pakistan and lies on the Makran coast in Balochistan and approximately 190 km from Karachi. It winds through the Hungol valley between high cliffs. . The area was for the first...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Khyber-PK)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is located in the north-west region of Pakistan

Pakistan

. It is known as the tourist hotspot for adventurers and explorers. The province has a varied landscape ranging from rugged mountains, valleys, hills and dense agricultural farms. The region is well-known for its ancestral roots. There are a number of Buddhist archeological sites from the Gandhara civilisation

Gandhara

Gandhāra , is the name of an ancient kingdom , located in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau and on the Kabul River...

such as Takht Bhai

Takht Bhai

Takht Bhai is a Buddhist monastic complex dating to the 1st century BCE. The complex is regarded by archaeologists as being particularly representative of the architecture of Buddhist monastic centers from its era. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.The word Takht Bhai may...

and Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati

Pushkalavati is an ancient site situated in Peshawar valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River, now it is known as Charsadda...

. There are a number of other Buddhist and Hindu archeological sites including Bala Hisar Fort

Bala Hisar Fort

Bala Hisar Fort is one of the most historic places of Peshawar. The word Bala Hisar is from Persian, meaning, “elevated or high fort”. According to Dr. Hussain Khan, the name was given by the Afghan King Timur Shah Durrani...

, Butkara Stupa

Butkara Stupa

The Butkara Stupa is an important Buddhist stupa in the area of Swat, Pakistan. It may have been originally built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it is generally dated slightly later to the 2nd century BCE....

, Kanishka stupa

Kanishka stupa

The Kanishka stupa was a monumental stupa established by the Kushan king Kanishka during the 2nd century CE in today's Shah-ji-Dheri on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan....

, Chakdara

Chakdara

Chakdara is a town in Lower Dir District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It is located north of Malakand on the north bank of the Swat River, in a commanding position near the entrance to Swat District and at the entrance to Lower Dir...

, Panjkora Valley and Sehri Bahlol.

Peshawar

Peshawar

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....

is the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The city is home to a number of sites including Bala Hisar Fort

Bala Hisar Fort

, Peshawar Museum

Peshawar Museum

The Peshawar Museum is a Museum situated in the historic city of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.-Introduction:Situated between the old Deans Hotel and the Old city, about five minutes walk from Jail Bridge and the Railway station....

, archelogocial site of Gor Khuttree

Gor Khuttree

Gor Khuttree is a neighbourhood of Peshawar city, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.- History :Gor Khuttree in the ancient city of Peshawar was identified by Sir Alexander Cunningham with Kanishka Vihara while Professor Dr Ahmad Hasan Dani identified it with the place where the famous tower...

, Mohabbat Khan Mosque

Mohabbat Khan Mosque

The Mohabbat Khan Mosque is a 17th century Mosque in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. It is named after the Mughal governor of Peshawar Nawab Mohabbat Khan who served under Emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb and who was the grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan .The Mosque was built in 1670s, and is...

, old city of Sethi Mohallah

Sethi Mohallah

Sethi Mohallah is an area in the heart of the walled city of Peshawar. The Mohallah contains seven houses built by the Sethis...

, Jamrud Fort

Jamrud Fort

Located at the entrance to the Khyber Pass, Jamrud Fort was built by the Sikhs in 1823.In 1837, it was here that the Afghans attacked the Sikhs during the Battle of Jamrud and Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, the Sikh Commander, was killed. But Sikhs won the war....

, the Sphola Stupa and the most famous market of Qissa Khawani. The city of Dera Ismail Khan

Dera Ismail Khan

Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...

is known to be the entrance into the province from Punjab and Balochistan. The city is famour for its Hindu ruins at Kafir Kot

Kafir Kot

Kafir Kot is an ancient ruin in Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the district Gazetteer of Mianwali of 1915 the remains of Kafirkot "are indication of the existence of a Hindu civilization of considerable importance and antiquity"...

. The Buddhist ruins at Shahbaz Garhi

Shahbaz Garhi

Shahbaz Garhi is an historic site located in Mardan District in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.-Location:Shahbaz Garhi is situated on the junction of three ancient routes;#Kabul to Pushkalavati#Swat through Buner...

are also famous in the city of Mardan

Mardan

Mardan , known as The city of hospitality, is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe and the second most populous city in the province, located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of in the south...

. Heading North, the divisions Swat valley

One of the most important cities in the province is Mansehra

Mansehra

Mansehra city is located at in Mansehra District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is very near to Abbottabad city. It is a major stop for tourists on the Karakoram Highway which leads to China...

. The city is a major stop for tourists setting out to the Northern Areas

Northern Areas

and Azad Kashmir

Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...

. The city is connected by the famous Karakoram Highway

Karakoram Highway

which ends up in China. Along the route there are several stops including the Kaghan Valley

Kaghan Valley

The Kaghan Valley is a valley in the north-east of Mansehra District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It attracts many tourists from around the world. The inhabitants were affected by the earthquake disaster on 8 October 2005....

, Balakot

Balakot

Balakot , is a town in Mansehra District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The town was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake and later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan and Saudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims , a Saudi relief organization...

, Naran

Naran Village

Naran is a village located in Kaghan Valley, Mansehra District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The Kunhar River, swollen by glacier melt, passes through this village as it meanders its way through the valley. The village is major tourist spot. It has over 100 hotels of various types...

, Shogran

Shogran

Shogran is a village situated on a green plateau in the Naran Valley, northern Pakistan at a height of 2,362 meters above sea level. The village was affected by the earthquake of 2005 when some building were damaged. It is only 10 km from Kiwai village and 34 km from Balakot. The road...

, Lake Saiful Mulook and Babusar Top. There are also several other sites within the province which attract a large number of tourist every year including Ayubia, Batkhela

Batkhela

Batkhela is the main tehsil and capital of Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. According to the 1998 census, the population of Batkhela is 38,222, and it is estimated to be 39,703 according to the World Gazetteer. Batkhela is a popular business city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province...

, Chakdara

Chakdara

, Saidu Sharif

Saidu Sharif

-Saidu Sharif:Saidu Sharif is the capital city of Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°45'0N 72°21'0E with an altitude of 939 metres Saidu sharif is traditional seat of government, remains the administrative headquarters of Malakand division .Saidu...

, Kalam Valley

Kalam valley

Kalam Valley is a valley along the upper reaches of the Swat River in Swat, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.Kalam Valley is known for its waterfalls, lakes and lush green hills, and is a 270 km drive from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan...

and Hindu Kush

Hindu Kush

The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...

mountain range in Chitral.

There are also several mountain passes that run through the province. One of the most famous is the Khyber Pass

Khyber Pass

which links Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

with Pakistan. The trade route

Trade route

A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...

sees a large number of trucks and lorries importing and exporting goods in and out of the region. The Babusar Pass

Babusar Pass

Babusar Pass or Babusar Top is a mountain pass at the north of the 150 km. long Kaghan Valley connecting it via the Thak Nala with Chilas on the Karakoram Highway . It is the highest point in the Kaghan Valley.The Kaghan Valley is at its best during summer...

is another mountain pass connecting the Thak Nala with Chilas

Chilas

Chilas is a small town located in the Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan on the left side of river Indus. It is part of the Silk Road connected by the Karakoram Highway which links it to Islamabad in the south via Dassu, Besham, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur...

on the Karakorum Highway. The Lowari Pass

Lowari Pass

Lowari Pass is a high mountain pass that connects Chitral with Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Lowari Top is a relatively low pass, by far the lowest pass to enter Chitral, the rest all being 12,000 to 15,000 feet.Lowari Top is closed by snow from late November to late May every year...

is another pass which connects Chitral with Dir

Dir

-Acronyms:* Detroit International Riverfront, an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River* Developmental, Individual differences, Relationship-based approach, a developmental intervention to autism developed by Stanley Greenspan and Serena Weider....

via the Lowari Tunnel

Lowari Tunnel

Lowari Tunnel is an 8.75 km long under-construction road tunnel situated in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan connecting Dir and Chitral Valley.-History:...

. The highest mountain pass in Pakistan is Shandur Pass which connects Chitral to Gilgit

Gilgit

Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...

and is known as the Roof of the World. The pass is the epicenter of three mountain ranges - Hindukush, Pamir

Pamir

Pamir may refer to:* a pamir, a U-shaped grassy valley in the Pamir Mountains**Great Pamir, a high valley in the Wakhan on the border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan**Little Pamir, a high valley in the Wakhan, Afghanistan...

and Karakoram

Karakoram

The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...

Punjab

Punjab is the second largest province in Pakistan

Pakistan

. It is known for its ancient cultural heritage as well as its religious diversity. The lands of Punjab have been home to a number of religions and civilisations. The Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization

once ruled the region and a significant archeological find was discovered at the ancient city of Harrapa. The Gandhara

Gandhara

civilisation was also quite dominant in the northern region of Punjab at the site of Taxila

Taxila

. Several other civilisations such as Greeks, Central Asians, and Persians ruled Punjab leaving a number of sites which still exist today. The arrival of Islam came about during the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate followed by the Ghaznavids. The Mughals took control of the region and ruled its land for several centuries. The mughal heritage remained quite strong in Punjab with a large number of forts, tombs and monuments still intact today. The Durrani Empire

Durrani Empire

The Durrani Empire was a Pashtun dynasty centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan, and northwestern India. It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief...

ruled the Punjab at the fall of the Mughal Empire for a short period following the rise of the Sikh Empire. The strong control of the Sikhs also lead to a number of sites still remaining intact throughout Punjab. The British Raj

British Raj

British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...

took control of the region until the independence of Pakistan

Partition of India

.

Tourism in Punjab is regulated by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab. There are a number of large cosmopolitan cities in Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

. The provincial capital, Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan as is known to the Cultural Heart of Pakistan. The Mughal Empire left behind the Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort

The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore...

and Shalimar Gardens

Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)

which are now recognised World Heritage Sites. The Walled City of Lahore

Walled City of Lahore

The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the "Old City," or "Anderoon Shehr ," is the section of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era.-Origins:The origins of the original Lahore are unspecific...

, Badshahi Mosque

Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque or the 'King's Mosque' in Lahore, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world...

, Wazir Khan Mosque

Wazir Khan Mosque

The Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as ' a mole on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan...

, Tomb of Jahangir and Nur Jahan

Tomb of Jahangir

, Tomb of Asaf Khan

Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan

Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan was the father of Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, who was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Emperor of India. Asaf Khan was also the elder brother of Mehrunissa, , the empress of Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir. Many scholars have been researching...

and Chauburji

Chauburji

Chauburji is one of the most famous monuments among the structures and buildings of the Mughal era in the city of Lahore, Pakistan....

are other major sites visited by tourists each year. The tomb of Qutb-ud-din Aibak from the Delhi Sultanate

Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...

is located in the historical market of Anarkali Bazaar

Anarkali bazaar

Anarkali bazaar is a famous bazār in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is one of the oldest surviving markets in South Asia, dating back at least 200 years...

in Lahore. The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is the mausoleum of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is located near the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan...

and Hazuri Bagh Baradari

Hazuri Bagh Baradari

The Hazuri Bagh Baradari is a baradari of white marble located in the Hazuri Bagh of Lahore, Pakistan. It was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Sikh ruler in 1818. Elegant carved marble pillars support delicate cusped arches. The central area, where Maharaja Ranjit Singh held court, has a mirrored...

are prime example of Sikh architecture

Sikh architecture

Sikh Architecture, is a style of architecture that is characterized with values of progressiveness, exquisite intricacy, austere beauty and logical flowing lines. Due to its progressive style, it is constantly evolving into many newly developing branches with new contemporary styles...

during the rule of the Sikh Empire. There a number of other sites within Lahore such as Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan is a tall minaret in Iqbal Park Lahore, built in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution. The minaret reflects a blend of Mughal and modern architecture, and is constructed on the site where on March 23, 1940, seven years before the formation of Pakistan, the Muslim League passed...

, Lahore Museum

Lahore Museum

Lahore Museum , established in 1894, is located in The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was one of the famous curators of the museum. Over 250,000 admissions were registered in 2005.-Attractions:...

, Data Durbar Complex

Data Durbar Complex

Data Darbar , located in the city of Lahore, Pakistan is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the sub-continent. It houses the remains of a Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery...

, Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal

Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal

The Tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal is a simple but impressive structure located in Lahore, Pakistan in the Hazuri Bagh lawn between the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort where both the grand structures face each other. Official guard is maintained by Pakistan Rangers...

, Bagh-e-Jinnah

Bagh-e-Jinnah

Bagh-e-Jinnah is a historical park in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. It was formerly known as Lawrence Gardens. Today, the large green space contains a botanical garden, a mosque, and Jinnah library situated in a Victorian building.There are also entertainment and sports facilities within the...

, Lahore Zoo

Lahore Zoo

Lahore Zoo in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, established in 1872, one of the largest zoos in South Asia. It is currently managed by the Wildlife and Parks department of the Government of Pakistan. Today the zoo houses a collection of about 1380 animals of 136 species...

, Tomb of Shah Jamal

Tomb of Shah Jamal

The Tomb of Shah Jamal is the tomb of Sufi Saint Baba Shah Jamal. It is located in the city of Lahore - the capital of Punjab, Pakistan. There is a masjid built around the tomb which incorporates a graveyard....

, Sukh Chayn Gardens

Sukh Chayn Gardens

Sukh Chayn Gardens Housing Estate is a Gated Community in the suburbs of Lahore, Pakistan. It is a joint venture between the governments of Pakistan and China.-History:...

, Gaddafi Stadium

Gaddafi Stadium

Gaddafi Stadium is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World...

which all create a large number of visitors annually.

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

is known to be a famous hill station stop for tourists before setting out to Murree

Murree

Murree city is a popular hill station and a summer resort, especially for the residents of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and for the cities of the province of Punjab, Pakistan...

, Bhurban

Bhurban

Bhurban is a small town and a hill station in Punjab province, Pakistan. The resort town is named after a nearby forest. It is located approximately 13 kilometres from Murree city.-Government:...

, Patriata

Patriata

Patriata also known as New Murree is a hill station in northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is situated 15 km south-east of Murree hill. - Location :Patriata is located in Murree Tehsil which is a subdivision of Rawalpindi District....

, Northern Areas

Northern Areas

, Azad Kashmir

Azad Kashmir

Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...

and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Pharwala Fort

Pharwala

Pharwala is a historic fort located about 40 km from Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. It is naturally defended by one side by a small Himalayan range and the other by the Swaan River. It is a Gakhar fort built in the 15th century on the ruins of a 10th century Hindu Shahi Fort...

is a major fort on the outskirts of the city built by an ancient Hindu civilisation. There are a number of sites from the Mughal Empire in the city of Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura

Sheikhupura or Shekhupur , formerly Kot Dayal Das or Singhpuria or Virkgarh , is an industrial city in the province of Punjab slightly northwest to Lahore in Pakistan. It is known for its historical places, and is commonly known locally as Qila Shaikhupura, because of the fort in the city,...

called Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar; Urdu: ہرن مینار is set in peaceful environs near Lahore in Sheikhupura, Pakistan. It was constructed by Emperor Jahangir as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deer....

and the Sheikhupura Fort. The Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful amalgamation of Pashtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian Subcontinent.-Name of fort:...

near Jhelum

Jhelum

Jhelum or Jehlum may refer to:* Jhelum, a city in Pakistan on the banks of the Jhelum River* Jhelum District, an administrative division in Punjab, Pakistan surrounding the city of Jhelum...

is a major fort built by Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah Suri , birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan , was the founder of the short-lived Sur Empire in northern India, with its capital at Delhi, before its demise in the hands of the resurgent Mughal Empire...

is a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

. The Katasraj temple

Katasraj temple

Katasraj Mandir , कटासराज मन्दिर ) is a Hindu mandir situated in Katas village in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site...

in the city of Chakwal

Chakwal District

Chakwal is a district in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Chakwal district was created in 1985; until the year 2000 when divisions were abolished, it was part of Rawalpindi Division.-Administration:...

is a major destination for Hindu devotees. The Khewra Salt Mines

Khewra Salt Mines

Khewra Salt Mines is a salt mine located in Khewra, Jhelum District, Punjab in Pakistan, about from Islamabad and from Lahore. It attracts up to 40,000 visitors per year and is the second largest salt mine in the world...

is another major tourist attraction as its one of the oldest mines in South Asia. The city of Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib

Nankana Sahib , earlier known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site...

is birthplace of the founder of Sikhism. The Gurdwara is visited by a number of pilgrims ever year to mark Guru Nanak Dev birthday. Another famous gurdwara in Punjab is Panja Sahib

Gurdwara Panja Sahib

Gurudwara Panja Sahib is situated at Hasan Abdal, 48 km from Rawalpindi in Pakistan. This is one of the most holy places of Sikhism because of the presence of a rock believed to have the hand print of Guru Nanak imprinted on it...

located in the city of Hasan Abdal

Hasan Abdal

Hasan Abdal is an historic town in Northern Punjab, Pakistan. It is located where the Grand Trunk Road meets the Karakoram Highway near the North-West Frontier Province province, northwest of Wah. It is 40 km northwest of Rawalpindi. It has a population of about over 50,000. It is famous for...

. The clock tower and eight bazaars

Clock Tower, Faisalabad

The Faisalabad Clock Tower is a clock tower in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, and is one of the oldest monuments still standing in its original state from the period of the British Raj...

of Faisalabad

Faisalabad

Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...

are famous for its bazaars since they were designed to represent the Union Jack flag.

Travelling southwards, the region starts to become more desert

Desert

A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...

ic. Multan

Multan

Multan , 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 from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...

is another major tourist destination in Punjab. It is known for its mausoleums

Mausoleums of Multan

There are various Mausoleums of Multan due to Multan's rich heritage of pirs and saints, the city also has many mausoleums and shrines. Here are some of the best-known mausoleums that can still be visited today.-Mausoleum of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakaria:...

of saints and Sufi pirs

Pir (Sufism)

Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master equally used in the nath tradition. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his...

. The most famous being the Rukn-e-Alam

Rukn-e-Alam

Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title Rukn-e-Alam commonly called Shah Rukne Alam was among the eminent Sufi saints from Multan, Pakistan....

and Baha-ud-din Zakariya

Baha-ud-din Zakariya

Baha-ud-din Zakariya was a Sufi of Suhrawardiyya order . His full name was Al-Sheikh Al-Kabir Sheikh-ul-Islam Baha-ud-Din Abu Muhammad Zakaria Al-Qureshi Al-Asadi Al Hashmi....

. The Multan Museum

Multan Museum

The Multan Museum located in the city of Multan, Punjab, Pakistan contains a fine collection of coins, medals, postage stamps of the former State of Bahawalpur, manuscripts, documented inscriptions, wood carvings, camel-skin paintings, historical models and stone carvings of the Islamic and...

and Nuagaza tombs are so significant attractions in the city. The city of Bahwalpur is a major destination as it is located near the Cholistan Desert

Cholistan Desert

Cholistan Desert sprawls thirty kilometers from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan and covers an area of 26,300 km². It adjoins the Thar Desert extending over to Sindh and into India....

and Thar Desert

Thar Desert

The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...

. The Derawar Fort

Derawar fort

Derawar Fort is a large square fortress in Pakistan near Bahawalpur. The forty bastions of Derawar are visible for many miles in Cholistan Desert. The walls have a circumference of 1500 metres and stand up to thirty metres high....

is a large fort built in the Cholistan Desert

Cholistan Desert

Cholistan Desert sprawls thirty kilometers from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan and covers an area of 26,300 km². It adjoins the Thar Desert extending over to Sindh and into India....

which is also the site for the annual Cholistan Jeep Rally. The city is also near the ancient site of Uch Sharif which was once a Delhi Sultanate

Delhi Sultanate

stronghold. The Noor Mahal

Noor Mahal

The Noor Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawab of Bahawalpur princely state, during British Raj.-History:...

, Sadiq Ghar Palace, Darbar Mall are large palaces built during the reign of the Nawabs. The Lal Suhanra National Park

Lal Suhanra National Park

Lal Sohanra is a national park of Pakistan situated in Bahawalpur district. Like the Changa Manga forest, it is one of several forests planted by the British to provide raw materials for railroad construction during their occupation of the Indian subcontinent...

is a major zoological garden on the outskirts of the city.

Sindh

is located in the south-eastern region of Pakistan

Pakistan

. The province is known for its religious heritage and rapid-urbanisation. The province is home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation. Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo-daro

near the city of Larkana

Larkana

Larkana or Larkano is the fourth largest city in the north-western part of Sindh Province, Pakistan, and is located within Larkana District.The old name of larkano is chandka which was changed in 1901. In August 2000 Larkana celebrated its hundred years of existence...

was one of the largest city-settlements in South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

and is a official UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chaukhandi tombs

Chaukhandi tombs

The Chaukhandi tombs are situated east of Karachi on N-5 National Highway near Landhi Town in Pakistan. The Chaukhandi tombs are remarkable for the elaborate and exquisite stone carving....

are another example of ancient Sindhi and Balochi heritage located near the town of Landi

Landhi Town

Landhi Town is a large industrial town in the eastern part of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is bordered by the Faisal Cantonment and Shah Faisal Town to the north across the Malir River, Bin Qasim Town to the south and east, and Korangi Town to the west. The population of Landhi Town was estimated...

. Another ancient city, Aror, located near the city of Sukkur

Sukkur

Sukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...

is also a famous tourist spot for its ruins. Kahu-Jo-Darro

Kahu-Jo-Darro

Kahu-Jo-Darro is ancient Buddhist archaeological site near Mirpurkhas, Pakistan. Excavations revealed a Buddhist stupa from the site. The ancient site is spread over ....

is a famous ancient Buddhist archaeological site near Mirpurkhas were a Buddhist stupa

Stupa

A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....

was excuvated.

The arrival of Islam in the Indian subcontinent

Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...

took place in Sindh. There has been a number of sites within the province that have led archeologists to suggest this. Makli Hill

Makli Hill

One of the largest necropolises in the world, with a diameter of approximately 8 kilometers, Makli Hill is supposed to be the burial place of some 125,000 local rulers, Sufi saints and others. It is located on the outskirts of Thatta, the capital of lower Sind until the seventeenth century, in what...

is one of the largest necropolis

Necropolis

A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...

es in the world. The site is home to a number of ancient tombs and graves of Islamic dynasties. The Talpur

Talpur

Talpur ; is a Baloch tribe settled in Sindh. Talpurs settled in northern Sindh, spoke Sindhi language very soon their descendants and allies formed a confederacy against the Kalhora dynasty. Later, however, they enjoyed good relations with the Kalhoras and were invited by them to help organize...

Mirs of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Sindh

is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...

also left a number of sites including, Tombs of Talpur Mirs

Tombs of Talpur Mirs

The tombs of Talpur Mirs are a collection of tombs of the ruling Talpur Mirs of Sindh and are located in the neighbourhood of Hirabad in the city of Hyderabad, Sindh. All tombs are enclosed in an area preserved by the city municipality to promote them as a tourist attraction...

, Faiz Mahal in Khairpur

Khairpur

Khairpur is the twelfth largest city in the province of Sindh in southeast Pakistan. It was founded in 1783 by Mir Sohrab Khan, who established the Khairpur branch of the Talpur clan. The settlement was selected as the seat of the Mirs of northern Sindh. It is the capital of the modern Khairpur...

, Qasim fort

Qasim fort

The Qasim Fort is a small fort constructed in the 18th century by the Talpur dynasty when the port of Karachi traded with Oman and Bahrain.The fort was stormed by the British in 1839 because of the strategic location of Karachi...

, Pacco Qillo

Pacco Qillo

Pacco Qillo Fort , formally known as Pacca Qilla, is an early modern fortification in Hyderabad, Pakistan.-See also:The Muhajirs were rather asked to stay temporarily at Pacco Qillo because at the time of partition and...

and the Kot Diji Fort

Kot Diji Fort

The Kot Diji Fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, dominates the town of Kot Diji in Khairpur District, Pakistan about 25 miles east of the Indus River at the edge of the Nara-Rajisthan Desert. The fort was built between 1785 to 1795 by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, founder of the Kingdom of Upper...

in Kot Diji

Kot Diji

The ancient site at Kot Diji was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The people of this site lived about 3000 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground , and outer area...

. Another famous fort built during the Islam invasion was the Ranikot Fort

Ranikot Fort

RaniKot The Great Wall of Sindh also known as Deware Sindh in sindhi language is the world's largest fort with a circumference of about 26 km or 16 miles. Since 1993, it has been on the list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites.- Location :...

. Like other provinces, Sindh has a number of cultural shrines and mausoleums including Thatta

Thatta

Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...

, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was a Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language...

, Lal Shahbaz Qalander, Shahjahan Mosque

Shahjahan Mosque

The Shah Jahan Mosque was built in the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is located in Thatta, Sindh province, Pakistan. It has been on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage list since 1993....

, Mazar-e-Quaid

Mazar-e-Quaid

Mazar-e-Quaid or the National Mausoleum refers to the tomb of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is an iconic symbol of Karachi throughout the world. The mausoleum , completed in the 1960s, is situated at the heart of the city. it is white in colour.- External links :* * * *...

, Minar-e-Mir Masum Shah, Bhambore

Bhambore

Bhambore is the ruins of the ancient port city of Debal from the 7th century, located near modern Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, at the base of the Indus River. The ruins are located approximately 60 km between Dhabeji and Gharo on the N-5 National Highway. Its population was mainly Hindu with a...

and Garhi Khuda Bakhsh

Garhi Khuda Bakhsh

Garhi Khuda Bakhsh is a village in Ratodero Taluka near Naudero, Sindh, Pakistan. It is notable for containing the graveyard of the Bhutto family and being the burial place of Zulfiqar, Murtaza, and Benazir Bhutto, in the mausoleum. It was founded by Khuda Bakhsh Khan Bhutto...

.
Karachi

Karachi

is the provincial capital of the province and largest city of Pakistan

Pakistan

. It is home to the founder of the nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. His tomb, Mazar-e-Quaid

Mazar-e-Quaid

, is the most iconic mausoleum in Pakistan. The city has the largest port in the country, Port of Karachi

Port of Karachi

, followed by the second largest, Port Qasim

Port Qasim

The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim , also known as Port Qasim, is a seaport in Karachi, Pakistan, on the coastline of the Arabian Sea. It is Pakistan's second busiest port, handling about 35% of the nation's cargo...

. Karachi has also been ruled under a number of tribes which meant the city is home to a number of cultural sites including, Mohatta Palace

Mohatta Palace

The Mohatta Palace is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was built by Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, an ambitious self-made businessman from Marwar as his summer home in 1927. The architect of the palace was Agha Ahmed Hussain. However, Mohatta could enjoy this building for only about two...

, National Museum of Pakistan

National Museum of Pakistan

The National Museum of Pakistan is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. National Museum of Pakistan was established in Frere Hall on April 17, 1950, replacing the defunct Victoria Museum. Frere Hall itself was built in 1865 as a tribute to Sir Bartle Frere, a Commissioner of Sind during the...

, Empress Market

Empress Market

The Empress Market is a famous marketplace situated in the Saddar Town locality of Karachi, Pakistan. The market traces its origins to the British Raj era, when it was first constructed. Today, it is amongst the most popular and busy places for shopping in Karachi and reflects as one of the few...

, Frere Hall

Frere Hall

Frere Hall is one of the few well-preserved buildings from the days of the British Raj that still exists in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.It was built in honour of Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere , who was known for promoting economic development in Karachi.-Location:The Hall is located between Abdullah...

, Jehangir Kothari Parade

Jehangir Kothari Parade

Jehangir Kothari Parade is a promenade built on land bequeathed by Seth Jehangir Hormusji Kothari to the city of Karachi . It is situated in the Clifton area of the city - famous for its SeaView Beach - standing the test of time for roughly 85 years to date. There are two structures; 1...

, Karachi Municipal Corporation Building

Karachi Municipal Corporation Building

The Karachi Municipal Corporation Building is one of the many historic buildings located at M. A. Jinnah road and has evolved an iconic status as one of the landmark structures of Karachi...

and the Hindu Gymkhana

Hindu Gymkhana

The Hindu Gymkhana was the first public building in Karachi to boldly adopt the Mughal-Revival style. The building established in 1925, Its located at Sarwar Shaheed Road in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan....

. There are also several beaches within the city, some of the most famous are Clifton Beach

Clifton Beach, Karachi

Clifton Beach or Seaview is a beach in Karachi, Pakistan located on the Arabian Sea. It is one of the neighborhoods of Clifton, Saddar Town. It was the world's most popular silver-sand beach and health resort during 20th century but in 2003 it was affected by an oil spill...

, French Beach

French Beach, Karachi

French Beach of Karachi is located half way between Hawkes Bay and Paradise Point, is a small fishing village frequented by Karachi's elite and known to the locals as Haji Ismill Goth. Surrounded by a boundary wall, it offers 95 huts, constructed by the villagers, for rent. The village doesn't have...

, Sandspit Beach

Sandspit Beach

Sandspit Beach is situated south west of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is a very famous tourist spot. The sea at Sandspit is very calm and quiet from October to March and very rough during the monsoon. Remarkable variety of marine life-algae, and crabs are found here. The shallow water here is ideal...

and Manora Island.

The province also forms the basin for the Indus river

Indus River

The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...

. This has led to a number of lakes being formed in the province. Some of the most notable ones include: Keenjhar Lake, Manchar Lake and the Bakri Waro Lake in Khairpur

Khairpur

. The Kirthar National Park

Kirthar National Park

The Kirthar National Park is situated in the southwestern part of Sind Province in Pakistan. It was founded in 1974 and stretches over 3087 km², being the second largest National Park of Pakistan after Hingol National Park. The fauna comprises leopards, striped hyenas, wolves, ratels, urials,...

is also a protected reserve for several wildlife within the region. The Thar Desert

Thar Desert

The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...

is also located in the province which adjorns it to Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

and India. The Great Rann of Kutch is a protected wetland site in the province. There are two wildlife santuaries in the province: Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nara Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sukkur Barrage

Sukkur barrage

Sukkur Barrage is a barrage on the River Indus near the city of Sukkur in the Sindh province of Pakistan.Sukkur Barrage is used to control water flow in the River Indus for irrigation and flood control purposes....

is another famous icon in the province it was built to alleviate famine

Famine

A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...

s caused by lack of rain.

Top 5 Tourist Sites

In October 2006, just one year after the dreadful 2005 Kashmir earthquake

2005 Kashmir earthquake

, The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

released what it described as "The top five tourist sites in Pakistan" in order to help the country's tourism industry.

Rank	Location
1	Taxila Taxila Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
2	Lahore Lahore Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
3	The Karakoram Highway Karakoram Highway The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both...
4	Karimabad Karimabad (Hunza) Karimabad is the capital of Hunza in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. Karimabad is also known as Baltit. It is named after Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual head of Shia Ismaili Nizari community. The Guardian ranked it as the 12th Best Tourist Site in Pakistan.-See also:*Hunza...
5	Lake Saiful Muluk

Challenges

July 2010 floods that made around 22 million people homeless in Pakistan also collapsed Tourism Industry in the country that was already becoming fragile due to bad law and order situation in the country. Swat Valley that geared up domestic tourism after a lull 2 years due to terrorism again faced total disaster due to heavy rainfalls and floods. Around 101 hotels on the bank of Swat River flushed out in floods because these hotels were constructed on the bank of the river against the law of nature and law of land. Around 277 people including 6 domestic tourist lost their lives in Swat valley. Thousands of tourists were stranded in Kalam and Bahrain areas affected by the devastating rain-triggered floods. There was no electricity in the entire district for 14 days and no road network left to evacuate tourists therefore Pakistan Army provided helicopters to airlift them to Islamabad. . All business activities and factories are lying closed in Swat.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited Swat valley to examine the flood situation and directed authorities to ensure adequate food supply for flood victims and improved communication links. The Prime Minister stressed for proper connectivity of Swat valley with other parts of the country and directed the Minister for Communications to ensure early restoration of roads and bridges so as to ensure unhindered provision of relief material.

Kalam in Khybar Pakhtunkhawa Pakistan, was a popular tourist destination famous for its terrain, view and natural beauty. The worst flood in memory has wreaked havoc to the tourist facilities and left locals wandering about their future. There were only two sources of income of Kalam. One is agriculture and other is tourism, both are destroyed and seriously affected,said a resident. Kalam had some four hundred hotels and restaurants before the floods. Dozens of which have been swept away in the raging water. Most of the major hotels were either on the river bed or overlooking it from the edges of River Swat. The water swept dams, swallowed fertile land and torn down bridges effectively dividing the Valley into two.

The floods that have caused massive devastation across the country struck at a time when tourism was in full swing, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan. Damages inflicted on tourism infrastructure in these areas are estimated to run in billions. Apart from claiming so many human lives, the floods took serious toll on hotels, motels, bridges, roads, houses. It rendered thousands of people jobless, who were affiliated with tourism. Gilgit Baltistan and Kaghan valley also affected by floods and rain and collapse of infrastructure. Karakuram Highway that was already blocked due to Aliabad landslide now totally shutdown for traffic. Balakot-Kaghan road is also impassable. Ecotourism Society Pakistan (ESP) estimation indicated around 550 million $ damaged to private sector. That include postponement of confirmed tours, damage to property and transportation. ESP submitted a detail damage report to world media and recommendations how tourism industry can cope with such disaster.
American movie star Angelina Jolie who helped Pakistan in 2005 earthquake again came forward to help Pakistan and visited floods hit areas on 7 September 2010. She appealed to the international community to provide aid needed to help the country recover from its worst natural disaster. 22 million people affected by the floods. The United Nations issued an appeal for $460 million in emergency funds on 11 Aug., but only $294 million, or 64 percent, has been received so far, and donations have more or less dried up in recent days.

External links

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