Islamabad - The capital of Pakistan## Part - 1
Bird eye view of Islamabad City## Hello LGs from around the world, hope you are all good. I had plenty of time as I was free and meanwhile I was in Islamabad, which is very beautiful, so I decided to explore every inch of the city and share it with those who love to explore new places.## So here I am going to start a post about exploring Islamabad, the Capital of Pakistan and I’ll cover some places worth visiting to show you the beauty of the city.
Little about the city, It was built as a planned city in the 1960s, The city is enveloped by the Margalla Hills to the north and east of Islamabad which have been declared as a protected national park by the Capital Development Authority. The city is famous for;
Greenery
Hiking Trails
Well planned sectors
Gardens and Parks
Eating and Shopping
Wide and signal free highways
Safest City
Cleanness
I’ll cover my post in 3 parts as it is difficult to mention every place in one post, it will get too lengthy.
Here I’ll explore and share information about some notable places which are top of the list. Here we go starting the list with, first is first “Shah Faisal Mosque” is first.
I have visited these places randomly but I’ll present them in different way.
- Shah Faisal Mosque Islamabad
View of Shah Faisal Faisal Mosque
A very large mosque gifted by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia it is Islamabad’s most recognizable landmark. It is located at foothills of lush green Margalla hills.
Inside view of the Mosque
Some features of the Mosque,
- It covers an area of 1,400,000 sq ft
- Built in 1986
- Cost of construction US$ 120 million
- Minaret height 299 ft
- Capacity 300,000 worshippers
View of Mosque & Margalla hills
Access to the mosque is easy though there is no direct public transport. Anyone can visit the mosque absolutely free, and there is a walking trail too which leads to Margalla hills.
On number 2 Daman-e-Koh is on the list. It takes almost 30 min from Shah Faisal Masjid to reach Daman-e-Koh by car or bike through lush green margalla hills.
Daman-e-Koh means “lap of the mountain” is a viewing point and hilltop garden located in the middle of the Margalla Hills.
Entrance gate Daman-e-Koh
It is accessible by the zig zag road through green hills; it is almost 500 ft from Islamabad city. It is very famous because the whole Islamabad city can be viewed from this viewpoint. The main attraction as it provides a panoramic view of Islamabad.
View of Islamabad city from Daman-e-Koh viewpoint######
The visitors experience a unique view of,
There are some walking trails too so the greenery can be enjoyed by taking one of the trails.
Facilities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Tuck shops
- Live traditional music
- Public toilets
View of Daman-e-koh park######
Daman-e-Koh is free to visit but there is parking free for vehicles.
The 3rd number on the list is for the Pakistan Monument, one of the most famous tourist attractions. It is located on Shakar Paryan hills near zero point, the center point of Islamabad city.
The monument is shaped like a blooming flower with four large and three small petals
The Monument was constructed to symbolize the unity of the Pakistani people. It is built in Mughal architect style, Inaugurated in 2007 it has 4 big and 3 small patels.
4 big patels represents four main cultures of Pakistan i.e,
- Panjabi
- Sindhi
- Pakhton
- Balochi
3 small patels represents
- Azad Kashmir
- Gilgit Baltistan
- Minorities
The monument has a museum too which is called the Pakistan Monument Museum which is worth visiting. The museum represents the cultural heritage and history of Pakistan.
The Monument also includes four pillars. These structures display the words,
Faith
Unity
Discipline
both in Urdu and English.
View of Four pillars
There is also a wall with hand impressions of every designer, architect, engineer and labor who helped with the construction.
Right next to the main monument is a circular terrace with beautiful archways that serves as a viewpoint. You can pretty much see the entire city from this place.
The Monument has,
- Wheelchair access
- Lift
- Prayer area
- Toilets
- Islamabad viewpoint
- Monument museum
Aerial view of Pakistan Monument
The location of Pakistan Monument and the lush green gardens surrounding it also make it one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Islamabad.
Entry tickets are available at the entrance.
To be continued…….