{"id":8756,"date":"2017-12-14T21:37:03","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T02:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insearchofsukoon.com\/\/?p=8756"},"modified":"2017-12-19T12:49:25","modified_gmt":"2017-12-19T18:49:25","slug":"tourist-in-my-own-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insearchofsukoon.com\/tourist-in-my-own-city\/","title":{"rendered":"TOURIST IN MY OWN CITY"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On our last trip to Lahore, Pakistan we decided to explore our city from the eyes of a tourist.<\/h3>\n

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#lovelahore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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It all started with a wrong click which ended up opening a news link<\/a> stating that the conservation of the 17th century Shahi Hammam in the Walled City of Lahore had received the Award of Merit in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It never occurred to us that we need to see the amazing things happening in\u00a0 city and I had no idea.<\/h3>\n

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Once we reached Lahore and got over the jet-lag and weddings and food coma and family reunions we decided to put our tourist hats on and head out towards the Walled City of Lahore.<\/h3>\n
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BBQ Party at Home<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Wedding Floral D\u00e9cor in progress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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7 adults, 3 kids and loads of chaos……finally our squad was ready.<\/h3>\n

We had already booked a guided tour, the details of which we got from a member of the WCLA<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

We were lucky to have an amazing tour guide who was extremely knowledgeable and had an awesome sense of humor. He made sure to give us the tour at our own pace which made it really enjoyable.<\/h3>\n

We decided to meet our guide and start our tour at the famous Food Street near the Fort Road.<\/h3>\n
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Food Street Entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We left early to beat the crazy traffic but still got stuck plenty of times.<\/h3>\n

To our surprise we enjoyed the traffic as it gave us plenty of time to reminisce and soak in the city views from the new flyovers and the graffiti along the walls.<\/h3>\n

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Important messages along the walls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The day was cold with a hint of fog. The first thing which caught our sight was the graceful Badshahi Masjid.<\/h3>\n

What a grand sight…..<\/h3>\n
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Majestic Badshahi Masjid<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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We parked near the Lahore Sight Tour parking and caught a glimpse of the then-new, red double-decker sight-seeing bus.<\/h3>\n
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Lahore Tourism Waiting Area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Double-Decker Tourism Bus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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We started out journey on dressed-up open Rickshaws with amazing speakers blasting famous Pakistani songs.<\/h3>\n
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Our Rickshaw (ride)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Street View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Another Street View<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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That’s how we ride<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Through the busy Fort Street, we headed towards the Dehli Gate. For all those who don’t know, Dehli Gate is one of the most famous of the 13 gates which protected the city of Lahore during the Mughal Era.<\/h3>\n

This particular gate is home to many historical buildings including Wazir Khan Masjid and the Shahi Hamam.<\/h3>\n

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Dehli Gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Arches inside Dehli Gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The streets were busy, packed with traders, residents, and of course people like us. Once inside the Dehli Gate, we had to take the rest of the tour on foot since the streets were super crowded and it was easier to make the rest of the journey on foot.<\/h3>\n
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Street Vendor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Street vendors adorn the shoulder and there is nothing what you cannot buy here. From clocks, to shoes, to bulk grocery to you name it. A lot of people who have grocery stores in the city, usually buy items in bulk from here.<\/h3>\n

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Shoes Galore<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Gold Bangles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Clocks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Earrings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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One thing most notable was the architecture, especially the jharokas (overhanging enclosed balcony) which are maintained to this day. From the brick work to the high arches, this place is an architects dream. These Shahi Havelis are the hidden gems of Lahore.<\/h3>\n

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Jharokas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Another Jharoka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Haveli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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A little walk through the crowded streets full of commotion, haggling and car horns paved the way to the Masjid.<\/h3>\n
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Entrance to Mosque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This mosque is named after the Governor of Punjab Hakim Ilam-Uddin who was the given the title of Wazir by Prince Shah Jahan. The mosque was completed in 1641 after 7-8 years of construction.<\/h3>\n
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History of the Mosque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mosque is built from brick and tile.<\/h3>\n

The entrance of the mosque is through a grand Iwan with Quranic Calligraphy. As you make your way through the Iwan, you see small rooms on either side which probably served as serai (guest rooms) or shops back in the day.<\/h3>\n
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Iwan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Beautiful Serai (guest house)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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4 minarets mark each corner of the courtyard.<\/h3>\n
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Minarets at each corner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The corridors lead to an open courtyard. The courtyard consists of paved bricks and is surrounded by arched structures. At the center of the courtyard is a big pool used for wuzu (ablution).<\/h3>\n
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Mosque courtyard with ablution pool in the center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The courtyard also has a crypt containing the tomb of\u00a014th century Sufi saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni.<\/h3>\n

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The mosque’s interior is adorned with Mughal-Era Frescoes and Kashi Kari.<\/h3>\n
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Artistic Frescoes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The prayer hall is divided into 5 sections with the main hall facing the wuzu pool. The prayer hall is collage of Mughal frescoes adorned with Persian and Arabic Calligraphy.<\/h3>\n
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One of the mimbar area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Prayer Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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It is soo beautiful to see pigeons flying around the minarets and come to a complete still when the call for prayers happens.<\/h3>\n
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Birds flying and cloth freshly dyed and hanging in the back<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Persian Calligraphy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the masjid we took a stroll through the tung galis (tight streets) of the inner city. Some of the streets were soo tight that only one person could pass at a time.<\/h3>\n

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Tight Streets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The most memorable thing was the Akhuwat Deevar (Wall of Unity) where people leave jackets, shoes and other useable items for\u00a0underprivileged people to take.<\/h3>\n
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Wall of Unity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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How thoughtful!<\/h3>\n

Our leisure stroll ended in the bazaar once again where bulk buying was happening in full swing. This time we ended up in the spice market. From freshly ground herbs, to lentils and rice to every kind of spice, this was one hot road.<\/h3>\n

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Bust streets but check out the arch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Corn Seller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Street Vape Shop and Bulk buying all in one<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Grains in bulk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Our walk ended at a building surrounded by red brick wall with scissor gates and a name plate saying “Shahi Hamam”.<\/h3>\n
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Outside Shahi Hamam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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There is a ticket to see this place which is very minimal.<\/h3>\n
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Tickets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The main purpose of these baths was that back in the day,\u00a0 army men and the travelers could rest and cleanse themselves before entering the city of Lahore.<\/h3>\n

Shahi Hamam or Royal Bath is a Persian Style Public Bath consists of :<\/h3>\n