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
Construction started	1960
Completed	1968
Height
Roof	62 metres (203 ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Nasreddin Murat-Khan
Structural engineer	Abdur Rehman Khan Niazi
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. 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. 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. 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.

Political Stands

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

Gallery

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  View at Night

• 
• 

  Minar-e-Pakistan at Night

• Minar-e-Pakistan at night Taken on July 20 2005.jpg

  View of Minar-e-Pakistan at Night

• Shahi Mosque 10.jpg

  Minar-e-Pakistan richly framed by an aisle arch

See also

• List of parks and gardens in Pakistan
• List of parks and gardens in Lahore
• List of parks and gardens in Karachi

External links

• http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=364
• http://www.lahore.com/content/section/4/45/