Facts about Lahore

Lahore has extensive road links to all major cities in Punjab.

Lahore city covers a total land area of 684 square miles (1772 kmІ).

Figures were unavailable for the many Afghan refugees and migrants from Iran who have permanently settled in Lahore but were not included in the census.

In 1021, Mahmud appointed Malik Ayaz to the throne and made Lahore the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire.

The most important session of the All India Muslim League, later the Pakistan Muslim League, the premier party fighting for independence, was held in Lahore in 1940.

In 1524, Mughal Babur’s troops captured Lahore, making it part of the Mughal Empire, to remain thus until 1752.

The 1936 grasshopper plague destroyed great numbers of crops in the Midwest and South (Schlebecker 1953).

Lahore is famous for hand-made carpet manufacturing in Pakistan.

Lahore's population was 6,319,000 in 2007, making it the second largest city in Pakistan, the fifth largest city in South Asia and the 23rd largest city in the world.

Much of Lahore's architecture from the Mughal and colonial eras has been preserved.

In 1941, Lahore had 36.3 percent Hindus and 18.4 percent Sikhs.

To this day, the Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava.

Lahore's Fort and Shalamar Gardens, which were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, are considered masterpieces of the Mughal era.

Lahore does have economic advantages over other cities in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Railways headquarters is located in Lahore, and the Lahore Central Railway Station, built during the British colonial era, is located in the heart of the city.

Lahore is the education capital of Pakistan, and is the country's science and technology hub.

Punjabi and Urdu are the most widely-spoken languages in Lahore and rural areas.

After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Lahore was the location of a power struggle between Mughal rulers and Sikh insurrectionists.

Lahore lies 811 miles (1305km) northeast of Karachi in the upper Indus plain on the Ravi River, a tributary of the Indus River, which flows on the northern side of Lahore.

Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan, was born in Lahore.

Lahore has also been home to Pakistan's classical music, ghazals and Qawalis.

In 1398, Lahore fell under the control of the Turkic conqueror Timur (1336–1405).

A legend, based on Hindu oral traditions, states that Lava, son of the Hindu god Rama, supposedly founded Lahore.

Lahore consisted of six towns until a revamp in 2001, when it was tagged as a city district, and three new towns were added.

The Lake Superior Basin is home to many diverse micro-climates, environments, and habitats.

The old city area of Lahore has newer commercial, industrial, and residential areas ringed by suburbs on the southeast.

The Grand Trunk Road, completed in 1997, links Lahore with Islamabad.

Persian military leader Nadir Shah (1698–1747) invaded India in 1738, making Lahore an outpost of the Iranian empire.

Lahore also has a general aviation airport known as Walton Airport.

The Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System was expected to be completed in 2020.

Colonial British structures such as the Lahore High Court, General Post Office, and many of the older universities still retain their Mughal-Gothic style.

Craniata consists of the vertebrates and hagfish (Myxini).

Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism, is said to have received his message near Lahore.

Independence fighter Jatin Das (1904–1929) died in Lahore prison after fasting for 63 days in protest of British treatment of political prisoners.

Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh (1907–1931), was hanged in Lahore Jail.

Plans exist for a high-speed railway between Lahore and Rawalpindi.

At independence in 1947, Lahore was made capital of Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan.

Published in Lahore in 1927, this document describes Lahore as a small shahr (city) with "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards.

Lahore is the capital of Punjab province, which has 35 districts.

Lahore reached a peak of architectural glory during the rule of the Mughals.

The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982 and is called Hudud-i-Alam.

Lahore is famous for single-wefted designs in Turkoman and Caucasian style and double-wefted Mughal types.

Muslims under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam demanded a separate homeland for Muslims of India in a document known as the Pakistan Resolution or the Lahore Resolution.

According to the 1998 census, 93.9 percent of Lahore's population is Muslim, up from 50.1 percent in 1941.

The last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort.

Lahore faced challenges posed by rapid population growth and poor water infrastructure.

Central to Lahore's economy is the Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE), Pakistan's second largest stock exchange.

The weather of Lahore is extreme during the months of May, June, and July, when the average temperature is 87°F (30°C).