Minar-e-Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan مینارِ پاکستان

Location within Lahore
General information
Status	National Tower of Pakistan
Type	Public monument
Location	Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan
Coordinates	31°35′33″N 74°18′34″E / 31.5925°N 74.3095°E / 31.5925; 74.3095Coordinates: 31°35′33″N 74°18′34″E / 31.5925°N 74.3095°E / 31.5925; 74.3095
Construction started	1960
Completed	1968
Height
Roof	62 metres (203 ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Nasreddin Murat-Khan
Structural engineer	Aun Muhammad
Main contractor	Mian Abdul Khaliq Company

Minar-e-Pakistan (Urdu: مینارِ پاکستان‎ / ALA-LC: Mīnār-i Pākistān, literally "Tower of Pakistan") is a public monument located in Iqbal Park which is one of the largest urban parks in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.^[1] The tower was constructed during the 1960s on the site where, on 23 March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution, the first official call for a separate homeland for the Muslims living in South Asia, in accordance with the two-nation theory.

Design

The tower reflects a blend of Mughal, Islamic and modern architecture.

The tower was designed and supervised by Nasreddin Murat-Khan, an architect and engineer hailing from Daghistan.^[2] The structural design was performed by Nasreddin Murat-Khan (a qualified engineer himself), assisted by Engineer Abdur Rehman Khan Niazi, who was working as Structural Design Engineer for Illeri N. Murat-Khan & Associates. Approved by the President, the design was built by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company. The foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1960. Construction took eight years, and was completed on 31 October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs 7,058,000. The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of Akhtar Hussain, governor of West Pakistan. Today, the minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can climb up the stairs or access the top by means of an elevator. The parks around the monument include marble fountains and an artificial lake.

Structure

The base is about 8 metre above the ground. The tower rises about 62 metres on the base, the total height of minaret is about 70 metres above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 metres high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Badshahi Mosque. The base comprises four platforms. To symbolise humble beginnings of the freedom struggle, first platform is built with uncut Taxila stones, second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, whereas third platform is of chiselled stones. Polished white marble at the fourth and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.^[3] Mr. Mukhtar Masood, a prolific writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members of the Building Committee.

Inscriptions

At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble Commemorative plaques. The inscriptions include the text of Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, and Delhi Resolution's text, which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 attributes of Allah are inscribed in Arabic calligraphy, whereas National Anthem of Pakistan in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as few couplets of Allama Iqbal are inscribed.^[3]

Political Stands

Minar-e-Pakistan has always served as the location a number of political protests and rallies, including recently those arranged by PTI.^[4]

Gallery

View at Night
Minar-e-Pakistan at Night
View of Minar-e-Pakistan at Night
Minar-e-Pakistan richly framed by an aisle arch

References

↑ Google maps. "Address of Minar-e-Pakistan". Google maps. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
↑ Meral Murat Khan. "Remembrance: The man behind the masterpiece". Dawn. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
1 2 Amna Jamal (2002) The Pakistan Day memorial. Dawn. 23 March. Retrieved 12 February 2008
↑ "PTI to stage rally at Minar-e-Pakistan today". The News International. 23 March 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minar-e-Pakistan.

Landmarks of the Walled City of Lahore

Gates	Akbari Alamgiri Bhati Delhi Kashmiri Lohari Masti Mochi Mori Roshnai Shah-Alami Shairanwala Taxali Yakki

Mosques	Badshahi Mosque Mariyam Zamani Begum Mosque Moti Masjid Shaheed Ganj Mosque Suneri Mosque Wazir Khan Mosque

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Tombs	Data Durbar Complex Samadhi of Ranjit Singh Tomb of Malik Ayaz Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal

Others	Fakir Khana Fort Road Fort Road Food Street Hazuri Bagh Hazuri Bagh Baradari Heera Mandi Iqbal Park Minar-e-Pakistan Naulakha Bazaar

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National symbols of Pakistan

Main symbols	Qaumi Taranah (national anthem) State emblem of Pakistan Flag of Pakistan Lahore Resolution (national document) Urdu (national language)

Motto	Iman Ittihad Nazm

People	Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Father of the Nation) Muhammad Iqbal (National poet) Fatima Jinnah (Mother of the Nation)

Other symbols	Cedrus deodara (national tree) Chukar partridge (national bird) Jasminum officinale (national flower) Markhor (national animal)

Structures	Bab-e-Pakistan (monument) Faisal Mosque Mazar-e-Quaid (mausoleum) Minar-e-Pakistan (monument) Pakistan Monument (monument)

List of cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan

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Monuments	Minar-e-Pakistan Hakimon ka Maqbara Islamic Summit Minar Nicholson's Obelisk Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal Chauburji Tomb of Bibi Jawindi Tomb of Jahangir Tomb of Nur Jahan Tomb of Lala Rukh House of Abdus Salam, Jhang Shrine of Jalaluddin Bukhari Shrine of Nuriya Shrine of Baha'al-Halim Tomb of Jani Khan Tomb of Nadira Begum Tomb of Ali Mardan Khan Cypress Tomb

Government buildings	Governor's House National College of Arts Quaid-e-Azam Library Lahore High Court building

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