Akbari Sarai (Punjab)

31st March 2017

 

Just before Jahangir Tomb, Akbari Sarai is the courtyard between Tomb of Jahangir and Asif Khan, constructed by Emperer Shah Jahan for the accommodation for servants looking after the tomb. It contains a series of 180 rooms with front verandah. It has two Mughal style gateways on the north and the south. On the west side, in the middle of compartments, is a mosque with three domes with rend sand stone with inlay work.

During the Sikh, Sarai was used as contonment and during British period, it was just a coal depot for the Railway. In the period, intertiors and decoration of mosque and compartments were severely damaged.

About Lahore

Lahore, the capital city of Punjab, is the most populous and second-largest city in the northeast part of Punjab province in Pakistan on the border with India at Wagha. It is located on the bank of River Ravi at a height of 213 meters above sea level.

It is linked with the rest of Pakistan and accessed by all types of transportation. It is the major city to access all of the cities and towns of Punjab province. It has the largest railway station in Pakistan. Allam Iqbal International airport is used for all types of international and local flights.

Historical Places in Lahore

Lahore is the historic cultural hub of the Punjab region and was served as the capital city for a number of years under the Mughal emperors, the Sikh Empire under the rule of Ranjit Singh, and provincial capital in British rule. It is famous for a number of historic buildings and parks, i.e. Shalimar garden, Shahi fort or Lahore fort, Badshah mosque, etc. These historical buildings are now managed by Unesco world heritage to preserve them for the next generation. Sheesh Mahal is one of the beautiful architectural Mughal construction with mirror and tile work, and it attracts a number of tourists from all over the world. Historical G.T. Road, constructed by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century, was used to establish a link between Calcutta and Kabul. Lahore museum has a splendid collection of historical linkages of Lahore and the sub-continent. Minar-e-Pakistan was a beautifully constructed building in memory of the Pakistan Resolution on 23 March 1940. Allam Muhammad Iqbal, who gave the idea of Pakistan, was buried near Badshahi mosque.

It is also known as a walled city in the times of the Mughal Empire. Some remains of those walls and splendid gates still attract a number of tourists to Lahore, Pakistan. Shahi fort was served as the front-end defense of the city.

The City of Lahore also attracts a number of visitors from all over the country as well as foreign tourists to visit a number of beautiful parks and gardens in the city. Jallo Park, race-course park, and Jinnah garden are the most famous parks.

It is also famous for the largest number of educational institutes in Pakistan. The University of Punjab is one of the main universities there, which produces a number of graduates every year. A number of great leaders before the independence of Pakistan had studied in the Government College, Lahore.

Nowadays, Lahore is represented as a modern city, with organized towns, restaurants, and shopping centers, in Gulberg, Model Town, and other societies. People love to enjoy visiting these shopping centers and normally take dinner in restaurants late at night.

Lahori people are cooperative and polite in manner. They welcome outsiders with great hearts and enjoy offering them meals. They are not conservative and respect the opinion of others. Most of the people living there have belonged to the surrounding cities, so they are not actual residents of Lahore. The actual residents of Lahore are living inside the walled city or other old colonies around the walled city.

Ideal time to visit Lahore

Spring season is the ideal time to visit the city. At that time, visitors can enjoy thousands of various color flowers everywhere, especially in public parks. The fragrance of these flowers can be felt in the atmosphere, which attracts a number of local visitors too. Local tourists from the surrounding cities can arrange a one-day tour with their families. Fully luxurious hotels and restaurants are available for tourists from other cities as well as foreigners.