مینارِ پاکستان | |
 Minar-e-Pakistan (2021) | |
 Interactive map of Minar-e-Pakistan | |
| Location | Greater Iqbal Park, Circular Road,Lahore,Punjab,Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°35′33″N74°18′34″E / 31.5925°N 74.3095°E /31.5925; 74.3095 |
| Designer | Nasreddin Murat-Khan |
| Type | National monument |
| Material | Reinforced concrete, marble, stone, steel |
| Width | 97.5 m (320 ft) (diameter) |
| Height | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Beginning date | 23 March 1960 (1960-03-23) |
| Completion date | 22 March 1968 (1968-03-22) |
| Dedicated to | Lahore Resolution (Pakistan Resolution) |
| Status | National Tower of Pakistan |
Minar-e-Pakistan (Urdu:مینارِ پاکستان,romanised: Mīnār-e-Pākistān;lit. 'Tower of Pakistan') is anational monument located inLahore,Punjab, Pakistan. The tower stands in theGreater Iqbal Park, an urban park in Lahore.[1] The tower was built during 1960–1968 on the site where on 23 March 1940, theAll-India Muslim League passed theLahore Resolution which was later called the Pakistan Resolution – the first official call for a separate and independent homeland for theMuslims ofBritish India, as espoused by thetwo-nation theory. The resolution eventually helped lead to the creation of Pakistan in1947.[2][3]
On 23 March 1960, the foundation stone of the tower was laid byAkhter Husain, the then–governor ofWest Pakistan. The construction of the tower took eight years, and was completed on 22 March 1968[3][4] at an estimated cost of seven millionPakistani rupees.[5] The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of the governor.[5]
Mian Abdul Khaliq was assigned as the main contractor for the project.[4]Mukhtar Masood, a well-known writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members who undertook important role for the completion of the project.[6]
The tower reflects a blend ofMughal,Islamic and modern architecture.[7][8] The tower was designed and supervised by,Nasreddin Murat-Khan, a Russian-born Pakistaniarchitect andcivil engineer.[9][10]
The tower stands on a five-pointed star-shaped platform that is enclosed by two crescent-shaped pools facing each other. One crescent pool is lined with red marble, the other is lined with green marble. The lower portion of the tower itself is shaped into a flower.[1][3] The area surrounding the monument is covered with flowers.
Construction material of the tower is chiefly of reinforced concrete alongwith work of marble and stones on the floors, walls and upstairs.[1] The small dome on the top is made of steel with a pinnacle. The base of the tower rises 8 metres (26 ft) from the ground while the tower stands at a height of 62 metres (203 ft) on the base. This makes the total height of the tower around 70 metres (230 ft) above the ground.[8] The ten unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 metres (30 ft) high. The circular diameter of the tower is about 97.5 metres (320 ft).[3] The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Mughal-eraBadshahi Mosque. The base consists of four platforms that are made of different types of marble and stones. To symbolise the humble beginning of the struggle for freedom, the first platform is built with uncut stones fromTaxila, the second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, and the third platform is made of chiselled stones. The polished white marble used in the fourth and final platform of the base depicts the success of thePakistan Movement.[3][11] The structure uses the imagery of crescents, stars and signs that symbolise the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in thenational flag of the country.[1]
At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten convergingwhite marblecommemorative plaques. The inscriptions include the text of the Lahore Resolution inUrdu,Bengali and English, as well as theDelhi Resolution's text,[3] which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques,Quranic verses and99 names of Allah are inscribed in theArabiccalligraphy. Other important inscriptions included on the monument are thenational anthem of the country in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches ofMuhammad Ali Jinnah in Urdu, Bengali and English; and a fewcouplets written byMuhammad Iqbal.[3]
Minar-e-Pakistan is considered thenational emblem of Pakistan,[12][13] and an expression ofpost-colonial national identity.[citation needed]
On 21 February 1999, the then Indian Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to visit Minar-e-Pakistan (previous Indian state visits to Pakistan had not included a visit to Lahore).[14] Vajpayee's visit was compared toNixon's visit to China in terms of significance.[15]
On 9 September 2012, the erstwhile Indian Minister for External AffairsS. M. Krishna with Indian High CommissionerSharat Sabharwal, also made a visit to the monument. Krishna wrote his remarks in visitors album of the monument.[16][17]
The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower of Pakistan". The monument has served as the location for a number of rallies.[18] The rallies have often caused damage to the surrounding flora, according to theParks and Horticulture Authority. In 2014, the Government of Punjab considered banning any large political or non-political gatherings.[19] In the past, the tower was used to provide a panoramic view to visitors who could access the top by climbing up the spiral stairs or using an elevator. However, this facility was later withdrawn due to a few suicide incidents.[20][21]
Just north of the massive Alamgiri gate of Akbar'sLahore Fort, the 1960s modernist concrete structure of the Minar-e-Pakistan rises from its flower vase like base in Iqbal Park. It marks the place where the Pakistan resolution was passed on 23 March 1940 at the Annual Session of the All-India Muslim League (AIML).
...the most important national monument of another Mughal capital, Lahore, is a modern tower called the Minar-e-Pakistan located outside the old city walls. Indeed, all of Pakistan's iconic national monuments are modern and even modernist, from the Minar to Jinnah's tomb in Karachi and the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.
Quote: The Minar-e-Pakistan, completed in 1968, was meant to commemorate the historic space where the 'Lahore Resolution' – that spelled out the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent – was tabled and accepted in 1940. Murat Khan, a Lahore-based architect of central Asian and Turkish origins, was appointed as the designer...
Landmarks of theWalled City of Lahore | |
|---|---|
| Gates | |
| Mosques | |
| Lahore Fort | |
| Tombs | |
| Others | |
