Lahore
Lahore meaning in English: Lahore (Punjabi: لہور, Urdu: لاہور) is Punjab’s capital and largest city. It is Pakistan’s second-largest metropolis after Karachi, and the world’s 26th-largest, with a population of more than 13 million. It is located in Punjab’s northeast region, beside the Ravi River. Lahore is one of Pakistan’s main industrial and economic cities. It is one of Pakistan’s most socially free, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities, having served as the historic capital and cultural heart of the Punjab province.
Etymology
The origin of Lahore’s name is unknown. Early Muslim historians documented the city’s name as Luhawar, Lūhār, or Rahwar. The city was referred to as Luhāwar by the Iranian philosopher and geographer, Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni, in his 11th century work, Qanun, while the poet Amir Khusrow, who lived during the Delhi Sultanate period, documented it as Lāhanūr. According to Yaqut al-Hamawi, the city was originally called Lawhūr but later became known as Lahāwar. Firishta, a Persian historian, refers to the city as Alahwar in his work; al-Ahwar is another version.
One idea says that the name Lahore is a distortion of the word Ravāwar, as R to L shifts are frequent in languages inherited from Sanskrit. Ravāwar is a simplified pronunciation of the word Iravatyāwar, which may be derived from the Ravi River, also known as the Iravati River in the Vedas. Another suggestion is that the city’s name is derived from the term Lohar, which means “blacksmith”.
Geography
Lahore is located in northeastern Pakistan, between 31°15′—31°45′ North and 74°01′—74°39′ East. The city is flanked by the Sheikhupura District to the north and west, Wagah to the east, and Kasur District to the south. The Ravi River passes through the northern part of Lahore. Lahore has a total land area of 404 square kilometers (156 square miles).
Old City
Lahore’s current cityscape includes the medieval Walled City of Lahore in the northern portion of the city, which is home to multiple World historical Sites and national historical sites. Lahore’s urban planning was not based on geometric design, but rather on piecemeal construction with little cul-de-sacs formed by katrahs and galis that emerged in the context of surrounding structures. Though certain neighborhoods were named after specific religious or ethnic groups, the neighborhoods themselves were generally diverse and not dominated by the namesake group.
Parks and gardens
Lahore is also known as “the city of gardens” because of its abundance of gardens. The Shahdara Bagh, one of the first Mughal gardens, was designed in the 15th century and houses Jahangir’s tomb. The Shalimar Gardens were built during the reign of Shah Jahan and were intended to resemble the Islamic paradise of the hereafter depicted in the Qur’an. The gardens have the traditional charbagh layout of four squares with three descending terraces. Hazuri Bagh was created in 1818 during Ranjit Singh’s reign to commemorate his recovery of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani.
