Moenjodaro was a well-built and developed city with almost all the streets 33 feet wide, a proper system of sanitation and well-planned market places. Its script has not been deciphered. It is believed that most of the people of Moenjodaro worshiped idols because numerous idols were found during the excavation. Some of these idols were wearing cotton clothes which proves that the people of dead city were well versed in weaving cotton. They had trade links with far off places and imported Copper, Silver, Bronze and Tin from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Kharasan as the Indus valley itself didn\'t produce these metals. These metals were then used to prepare weapons, jewelry and other items of daily use. Probably the use of iron was not known to the people of ancient city. Their attitude towards the battle field shows that they were very peace loving. As a result the invaders from Central Asia conquered their land and many of the aborigines fled to other parts of Sub-continent.

Moenjodaro was situated at the bank of river Indus and it is believed that floods caused its destruction about 2500 years ago. Today Moenjodaro is visited by tourists and archaeologists from all over the world. Moen-Jo- Daro is located in District Larkana at a distance of about 28 km from Larakana and 107 km from sukkur. It lies on 27o 19\' 30.36" North latitude and 68o 08\' 08.77" East longitutide at an elevation of about 164 ft from sea level. The articles from the ancient cities can be seen in all the major museums of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan is striving to preserve this national asset. It seems that in addition to the river Indus there was another large river which parallel and west of the Indus in the third and fourth millennium B.C. This was the ancient Ghaggra-Hakra River or Sarasvati of the Rig Veda. Its lost banks are slowly being laid out by researchers. Along its bed, a whole new set of ancient towns and cities have been discovered.

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Lahore is the capital of Punjab province and is situated near the river Ravi. Today it serves as the center of all cultural activities and is recognized as the cultural heart of Punjab. The native language spoken here is Punjabi. Being a mixture of Urdu and pure Punjabi it is also termed as Lahori Punjabi. With a population of 10 million people it is the second most populous country of Pakistan, 5th amongst all the South Asian cities and 26th in the world. Following are some of the most exciting places in Lahore:

Badshahi Mosque:
Badshahi mosque, the second largest mosque of Pakistan (Faisal mosque being the first),can accommodate up to 10000 worshipers at a time. It was constructed during the reign of Moughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgeer. It is also regarded as the fifth largest mosque in the world. The Moughal rulers had a special interest in calligraphy, therefore eye catching patterns of the Quranic verses can be seen on the walls of Badshahi mosque.

Shahi Qila:
The ancient citadel of Lahore, known as the Shahi Qila (Royal Citadel), is situated on the north western side of the city. Its existing structure was built by Akbar, the great Moughal emperor of sub-continent.

Shalimar Gardens:
Shalimar gardens were built by Shah Jehan. They have been built in the shape of an oblong parallelogram. The gardens have three terraces built on the top of one another and 410 fountains.

Other Buildings:
The architectural marvels of British era include the GPO building, GC university and Lahore Railway Station. Among modern buildings the Lahore Museum is remarkable.

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Moenjodaro means City of the Dead. It is situated at a distance of 27km from Larkana, in Sindh. Harrapa is a site 24km away from the city of Sahiwal, in Punjab. In spite of a distance of 650km between the two cities, both are similar many ways. The people of these cities were very civilized and urbane. Indus Valley Civilization came to an end about 2500 years ago as a result of floods.

An impressive architectural taste is visible in the buildings of the Indus Valley Civilization. The cities were well planned and were developed on large areas. Most of the roads were 33feet wide. A proper sanitation and drainage system was present and the drains were kept covered. During the excavation a number of idols made of metals, wood, clay and stone were discovered. Therefore it is believed that most of the people of ancient Indus Valley Civilization worshiped idols while the others worshiped sun, moon and the stars. Archaeologists say that the people of Moenjodaro and Harrapa were quite trendy. A machine resembling a spinning wheel has also been discovered. The people of Indus Valley were very peace loving. This is clear from their attitude towards the battle field. Consequently, the warriors from Central Asia conquered the Indus valley and a number of these warriors settled here permanently. It is believed that the people of Indus Valley had a strong system of trade. The traded with far off nations. Although the ancient valley didn\'t produce metals like Silver, Bronze and Copper but articles and jewelry made of these metals were quite common in Moenjodaro and Harrapa.

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The history of Hyderabad dates back to the days when Ganjo Takan (Barren Hill), a nearby hill-tract, was used as a place of worship. In ancient times it was known as Neroon Kot named after its hindu ruler Neroon. In 1768 the city was re-built by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro and later on his son Sarfraz Khan adorned it. Ghulam Shah also built the fort Pacco Qillo (The strong fort). Later on the Talpur rule began. The Indus river changed its course and Mir Fateh Ali belonging to Talpur dynasty shifted the capital from Khudabad to Hyderabad. He used Pacco Qillo for his residence. In 1943 the British fought with the Talpur rulers to gain control of the city. British army successfully did so and the Talpur rulers had to flee. In 1947 upon the partition of Sub-continent Sindh was made a part of Pakistan.

The tourist attractions of the city include Pacco Qillo, Kacha Qilla, Amri, the monuments of Talpur and Kalhora rulers and the beautiful bazars of city. Hyderabad is connected to all the major cities of Pakistan via rail, road and air. Hyderabad has always been a place of political turmoil and unrest due to which the ancient buildings are in a desolate state. Immediate attention is required to preserve this asset.

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The fort has twelve gates including four trap gates which are in the direct line of fire of the bastions built at irregular intervals. It can accommodate a 30000 strong force. The length of outer wall is 5.2 km while it\'s height ranges from 10 to 18 meters. The fortress is irregular in it\'s shape. The cost of construction of Rohtas Fortress was about Rs. 3425000 as per Waqiat-e- Jahangiri. The 12 gates are a s follows: 1. Sohail Gate, 2. Kabuli Gate, 3. Shishi Gate, 4. Langar Khani Gate, 5. Talaqi Gate, 6. Khwas Khani Gate, 7. Gatali Gate, 8. Tulla Mori Gate, 9. Pipalwala Gate, 10. Sar Gate, 11. Shah Chandwali Gate, 12. Mori or Kashmiri Gate. There are 3 Baolis in the fort. These were made by cutting deep into the lime rock. Near the Kabuli gate there is a mosque named as the Shahi Masjid. The mosque has been decorated with beautiful round designs in which Islamic verses are written in Naqsh script. The stone carvings and calligraphic pieces of art are truly remarkable. For decorational purposes glazed tiles and plaster have also been used. Stunned by it\'s splendor and strength the Emperor Jehangir said:

“This fort was founded in a cleft and the strength of it cannot be imagined“

The fort was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997. Rohtas fort can be visited easily from Lahore via the Grand Trunk Road.

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In the past Hunza was a princely state near Nagar. This state continued to survive until 1974 when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto finally dissolved it. There are many versions about who inhabited Hunza valley first. According to one, Alexander Zulkarnain made an effort to inhabit and develop the sublime valley. An other version implies that Alexander The Great annexed the area and at the last moments of his life alloted it to his loyal commanders. Who made it irrigable and inhabitable. Yet another version says that many people fled from the Tartar country after a great revolution and settled in the Hunza valley. About 200 years after the introduction of Islam in the area, the first Muslim ruler Mayroo Khan (Given the title of Thum) married, and twin sons were born. His sons were always hostile towards each other and Mayroo Khan had to break up his empire into two parts (Nagar and Hunza), when the question of succession arose. The British conquered the valley at some time between 1889 to 1892.

Hunza valley is a Heaven for mountaineers and climbers because of the towering mountains surrounding the valley. These include Rakaposhi 7,788 m (25,551 ft), Ultar Sar 7,388 m (24,239 ft), Bojahagur Duanasir II 7,329 m (24,045 ft), Ghenta Peak 7,090 m (15,631 ft), Hunza Peak 6,270 m (20,571 ft), Darmyani Peak 6,090 m (19,980 ft), and Bublimating (Ladyfinger Peak) 6,000 m (19,685 ft). The picturesque Baltit Fort is also worth seeing. Hunza\'s tourists season is from May to October. The Karakoram highway connecting China and Pakistan provides easy access to the exotic valley. Regular bus services are also present for tourists.

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The capital of ancient Gandhara was Taxila. It was considered as the center of cultural activities and education. A grand university was also present here. People from all over the subcontinent visited the place for trade and to quench their thirst for knowledge. The ancient Gandhara excelled in the field of fine arts specially in the making of stone statues. The statues of Mahatama Gautam Budha are quite impressive and tourists from all over the world visit this place to see these magnificent pieces of art. The cultural outlook of Gandhara was superb even 2500 years ago but the invaders caused a lot of devastation and the Gandharan civilization came to an end. Jayapala was the last great king of this dynasty. His empire extended from west of Kabul to the river Sutlej. However, this expansion of Gandhara kingdom coincided with the rise of the powerful Ghaznavid Empire under Sabukatigin. Defeated twice by Sabukatigin and then by Mahmud of Ghazni in the Kabul valley, Jayapala committed suicide. Anandapala, a son of Jayapala, moved his capital near Nandana in the Salt Range. In 1021 the last king of this dynasty, Trinocanapala was assassinated by his own troops which spelled the end of Gandhara.

Pieces of Gandhara art can be seen in all the major museums of Pakistan, specially the Taxila museum. The city of Taxila is only 40km away from the Rawalpindi city and can easily be approached either by plane or by road. The government of Pakistan is striving to preserve this national asset.

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