Places to Pay a Visit in Pakistan Quiz

Answer: Faisal Mosque

Built over ten years starting in 1976, the Faisal Mosque has a space-age look to it, lacking the traditional arches and dome. Designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, the mosque is named for Saudi King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz, who suggested a national mosque for Pakistan and helped pay for the cost.

The mosque is built at the foot of the Margalla Hills overlooking Islamabad and can accommodate 100,000 worshippers, making it the world's largest mosque at the time of its completion in 1986.

Answer: Lahore Fort

Lahore Fort, as it now exists, was mainly built in the 16th and 17th centuries, but its general configuration is believed to have been laid out during the 11th century, according to UNESCO. The fort has been demolished and rebuilt many times over the centuries.

It contains 21 monuments within its boundaries which display Mughal architecture with Hindu and Persian motifs. There are also three museums on the grounds. Lahore Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 for its "testimony to the Mughal civilisation at the height of its artistic and aesthetic accomplishments, in the 16th and 17th centuries".

Answer: Pakistan Monument

The Pakistan Monument and heritage museum was designed by Arif Masoud as a blossoming flower with four large petals and three smaller petals that represented the four provinces and three territories of Pakistan. Completed in March 2007, the monument is located on the Shakarparian Hills and is surrounded by gardens.

The museum features exhibits that highlight the creation of Pakistan over the centuries.

Answer: Badshahi Mosque

The previous title holder for world's largest mosque prior to the completion of the Faisal Mosque was the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. Built in 1673, Badshahi Mosque is a red sandstone mosque featuring ornate motifs and marble inlays, and it has three domes made of white marble.

It was constructed during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir and features elements of Islamic, Persian, and Indian designs. The mosque was submitted for UNESCO World Heritage consideration in 1993.

Answer: Shalimar Gardens

The Shalimar Gardens (also spelled as Shalamar Gardens) were completed in the 1640s by Shah Jahan. The gardens cover sixteen hectares and are built on a series of three descending terraces with many fountains (410 reportedly) that feed large pools in the middle of the terraces. Shalimar Gardens are located a short distance from the Lahore Fort and were given UNESCO World Heritage Site status together with the Lahore Fort in 1981 for embodying "Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development". UNESCO further declared that "both complexes together may be understood to constitute a masterpiece of human creative genius".

Answer: Mohenjo-Daro

Built around 2500 B.C.E., Mohenjo-Daro or Moenjodaro is also known as the Mound of the Dead or Mound of the Dead Men. The site is considered to be the "best preserved urban settlement in South Asia dating back to the beginning of the 3rd millennium" B.C.E. according to UNESCO.

The settlement was a large city that had an extensive drainage system, with public baths and sewage pits. The site was abandoned around 1900 B.C.E. and was not "rediscovered" until the 1920s. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

Answer: Derawar Fort

Derawar Fort is located in the Bahawalpur District in eastern Pakistan. The fort stands in the Cholistan Desert, which covers around two thirds of the entire area of the district. Having been originally built by Rai Jajja Bhati in the 9th century, it was captured by Sadeq Mohammad Kahn I in 1733, who rebuilt it in its current form.

The forty circular bastions stand 30 metres/98 feet tall and can be seen for miles. Derawar Fort was submitted for UNESCO World Heritage Site consideration in 2016.

Answer: Taxila

Taxila, which means "City of Cut Stone", includes a series of settlements (Bhir, Sirkap, and Sirsukh) that were built between the 5th century B.C.E. and 2nd century C.E., and the prehistoric mound of Saraikala. The Bhir mound is believed to be associated with Alexander the Great's visit to the site in 326 B.C.E., and among the other ruins are the remains of a Buddhist monastery, a Muslim mosque and madrassa, and the Mesolithic Khanpur cave. According to UNESCO, "The ruins of four universally meaningful settlement sites at Taxila reveal the pattern of urban evolution on the Indian subcontinent through more than five centuries. Taxila is the only site of this unique importance on the subcontinent." Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

Answer: Chaukhandi Tombs

The Chaukhandi Tombs (also spelled as Chawkhandi Tombs) is an Islamic graveyard believed to be constructed between the 15th and 18th centuries, although the tombs lack dated inscriptions so the precise dates aren't known. The tombs are located on two square miles and feature sandstone slabs with ornately carved tombs in a pyramid form, with some of the tombs featuring stone canopies over them.

The Chaukhandi Tombs were submitted for UNESCO World Heritage Site consideration in 1993.

Answer: Takht-i-Bahi

Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) was a Buddhist monastery built in the 1st century C.E. and abandoned around the 7th century C.E. Located on a hilltop in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the site is well-preserved and considered to be the most complete Buddhist site in Pakistan.

The ruins of a small fortified city called Sahr-i-Bahlol are located nearby, and the two sites together were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1980 as they date from the same era.