You have all heard of the Great Wall of China right? The wall built to protect Ancient Chinese borders. But have you heard of the Great Wall of Sindh or Dewar-e-Sindh? I am sure most Pakistanis haven’t. The Dewar-e-Sindh is known more commonly as the Ranikot fort. Its claim to fame is that it is even today the largest fort in the world! Yes, I did write ‘world’ and no,
One of the greatest and most exhilarating treks that one can undertake is the one to the K2 Base Camp and Concordia. The trek has scenery that takes your breath away and dangers that can take your life away, in a deadly second. Yes, this is no walk in the park. It is an extremely arduous and demanding trek, but the journey and sense of achievement upon completing it is
Pakistan is full of amazing people, places and things! One such amazing place (or ‘thing’ depending on your perspective) is the Karakoram Highway. The Karakoram Highway is officially the highest paved international road in the world! This road connects us with our friends, the Chinese. Also sometimes called the 8th wonder of the world, it passes through the scenic Karakoram mountain range via the Khunjerab Pass, connecting China and Pakistan. A marvel
Located approximately 100 kilometers from Karachi lies another historical gem of Pakistan, called Makli. Makli is located close to Thatta, which used to be the capital of lower Sindh till the seventeenth century. Designated as a United Nations World Heritage site in 1981, Makli is one of the largest necropolises in the world. Measuring approximately 8 km in diameter, it holds the graves of approximately 125,000 rulers, Sufis and many
Pakistan holds many records in the world. Some man made, some achieved via great feats and some natural. To acquaint my readers with these, I have compiled a list of some of the interesting world records that Pakistan holds. World’s Largest Mosque After the two holy mosques of Makkah and Madinah the largest mosque in the world is the Shah Faisal Mosque. Situated in the capital city of Islamabad, the
Mohenjo-Daro is a historical marvel. A part of the Indus valley civilization, this ancient city is now a part of Larkana district located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The city was first discovered by archeologists in 1911. Excavations then regularly took place in the 1920’s and 1930’s, with final major digs taking place in 1950 and 1964. The History of Mohenjo-Daro The city was inhabited in the third millennium
Pakistan is abundant with natural beauty. And one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan is the Kaghan valley. For me, if heaven were located on earth, then – besides Kashmir – Kaghan valley would be it! Kaghan is named after the town of Kaghan that lies within it and is also known as the valley of lakes. The Dudipatsar, Lulusar and Saiful Muluk (the most popular) lakes are some
Pakistan is home to a diverse range of flora. It also boasts the 5th largest continuous mangrove forest in the world, covering a sprawling 600,000 hectares on the coast of the Arabian Sea, from Karachi to the Indo-Pak border. This is the Indus Delta mangrove area. Around 135,000 people live around this, and most of them fish for a living. This means that the local economy greatly benefits from the
I am sure most Pakistani readers have at least heard of Monal. If you haven’t, let me introduce it to you. It is a restaurant that serves local and international food in Islamabad. But not just anywhere in Islamabad! Monal is situated at Pir Sohawa road, atop a mountain in the Margala Hills. There is no other word to describe the experience at Monal, other than mesmerizing! You start off
Pakistani or not, everyone has heard of Karachi nowadays. Karachi is in the news as often as Beirut was a few years back. Many folks are wary of going to Karachi and try avoiding it like the plague. If they do end up in Karachi, they are given strict instructions: Stay indoors and don’t go out too much! If you do need to go out, stay in the “good” areas