Minar-e-Pakistan

O n 23 March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed a resolution that represented the decisive step towards the foundation of Pakistan. Twenty years later, on the site in Lahore where that historical event had taken place, construction work began on a commemorative monument, the Minar-e-Pakistan, which was completed eight years later. The Minar-e-Pakistan is a 62-meter-high minaret rich in symbols standing for the history of Pakistan. The tower is laid on an elevated base, in the shape of a five-pointed star, which comprises of four platforms. The stones used to build each platform are progressively more refined from the bottom up (ranging from uncut stones to polished white marble), to signify the difficult developments but final success of the Pakistan Movement for independence. Like Islamabad’s Pakistan Monument, this landmark’s lower part is built in the shape of a blossoming flower, from which the tower rises as a symbol of the country’s birth. The Minar-e-Pakistan is situated in a large park, quite popular among Lahorites, which is visible along with pretty much the entire city from the minaret’s top dome.