Badshahi Mosque: a must-see in Lahore

For my Pakistani friends, Lahore is a city for living because “people will take to the streets to celebrate a cricket win,” while in other cities like Karachi people are too busy working.

Indeed, it’s an ancient city full of architectural treasures. As a landmark symbol, the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore is the second-largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. The area within the mosque measures approximately 150 meters on each side.

Elaborately decorated facades, grand bulbous marble domes, red sandstone, devout religious believers… all make this mosque a must-see place to understand Pakistan, including its past and today.

Near to the mosque stand Minar-e-Pakistan, a tall concrete minaret built as a tribute to the creation of Pakistan, and Lahore Fort, one of the most splendid examples of Mughal architecture in Pakistan. At Expo 2010, Pakistan Pavilion is a replica of the Lahore Fort built of new materials with new technology.