Lahore (Punjabi:لہور, Urdu: لاہور) is the capital of thePakistani provinceof Punjab and thesecond largest city in the country. With a rich history dating back over a millennium, Lahore is a major cultural centre of Pakistan. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains an economic, political, transportation, entertainment, and educational hub.
Lahore successively served as regional capital of the empires of theShahi kingdoms in the 11th century, theGhaznavids in the 12th century, theGhurid State in the 12th and 13th centuries theMughal Empire in the 16th century, the Sikh expansion in the early 19th century, and it was the capital of the Punjab region under the British Raj in the mid 19th and early 20th century. The traditional capital ofPunjab for a thousand years, Lahore was the cultural center ofNorth India which extends from the eastern banks of theIndus River to New Delhi. Mughal structures such as the Badshahi Mosque, the Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens, and the mausolea ofJehangir and Nur Jehan are popular tourist attractions for the city. Lahore is also home to many British colonial structures built in the Indo-Saracenic style, such as the Lahore High Court, the General Post Office, Lahore Museum and many older universities including the University of the Punjab. The Lahore Zoo, thought to be the fourth oldest in the world, is also situated here.
Lahore is referred to as the cultural heart of Punjab as it hosts most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, film-making, music, gardening and intelligentsia of the country. Known for its affiliation with poets and artists, it has the largest number of educational institutions in Punjab and some of the finest gardens on the continent. Lahore has always been a center for publications, where 80 percent of Punjab's books are published and remains the foremost center of literary, educational and cultural activity in Punjab. It is also an important religious center as it is home to hundreds of temples, mosques, and shrines like Data Durbar Complex.
According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was 6,310,000. A 2010 government estimate now puts the population at 10,000,000. It is ranked 30 in the most populated urban areas in the world and the 8th largest city within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In 2010, Lahore was ranked as a Gamma+ city. In 2010 it was ranked byThe Guardian as the 2nd Best Tourist Destination in Pakistan. It is 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Amritsar, India and therefore, very close to Pakistan's eastern border with India.
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