Lahore - Part 1

Lahore is a great city to visit - there's plenty to see and lots going on.

The only problem: I was hit by really bad food poisoning.

On my first day in Lahore I spent the entire day zoned out in bed, making frequent trips to the toilet across the courtyard – with the temperature hovering around 45 degrees and no air con.

Over the next week I would go from feeling just about OK, to feeling totally lethargic and unable to do anything. To make matters worse I was suffering from excruciating stomach cramps.

Despite this, I was able to see some of the city.

The two highlights were the Badshahi Mosque and the Old City that surrounds it.

The Badshahi mosque was built in the Mughal period in 1673, and epitomizes the style of architecture of the day. Until 1986 it was the biggest mosque in the world, able to accommodate 110,000 worshippers. It's scale is certainly impressive.

The Badshahi mosque:



Looking back towards the entrance:



One of the corridors in the hallway that runs around the main building:



These two chaps were guarding the mausoleum of the man who is said to have first raised the idea of a separate state of Pakistan. They couldn't have picked more opposites if they'd tried:





The scale of the mosque can be seen from this photo:



From the mosque it's a quick walk to the Lahore Fort – which is a bit of a disappointment as it's mostly in ruins. Completed in 1605, it was built at the height of the Mughal Empire. The only thing of real interest was the Sheesh Mahal – The Palace Of Mirrors.

The main entrance of the Fort:



And another showing the entrance which was big enough to accommodate elephants with riders:



And inside the Fort:





Amazing wall paintings;



And the Sheesh Mahal:







View of the Mosque from the Fort:



And some random shots from the Old City:







Liver, heart, and kidneys – ready for the barbecue:





I stayed at the Regale Internet Inn – which is where all the travellers stay. It's a great place to meet people, and it was fun to hang out with people in the main courtyard area – just wish I'd been feeling a bit better.

The owner is a member of the Sufi sect, and arranges Sufi “nights out”, and a band at the weekend. On Friday night the band was one of the best Qawwali bands in Pakistan, and the music was amazing. The setting is very intimate, with the band literally a few feet away.

Here are some videos of the band in action (click to view the video):





You are my king, you are my life - Qawwali lyrics translated into English, reflecting the spiritual and devotional nature of this amazing style of music. Click to view the video:



The band: