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Facts about Astola Island

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Located approximately 25km away from the mainland, Astola is the largest offshore island of Pakistan. The island is uninhabited, and this has allowed marine and wildlife to flourish there.

The island has no hotels or place to stay, so if anyone decides to stay on the island they must bring their own camping equipment like tents, sleeping bags and blankets.

Astola Island
Author: Sakina Nazia / (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Some Info About the Island:

  • According to a Greek historian the island was discovered by Alexander the Great’s naval fleet.
  • The island has a length of 6.7km and a width of 2.3km.
  • It has an area of approximately 6.7km2
  • Wildlife flourishes on the island. Astola’s beaches are a nesting ground for the Green Sea Turtle and Hawksbill Sea Turtle. Both of these turtle species are endangered.
  • The island has little vegetation that includes just a few shrubs and trees.
  • It has an old lighthouse that’s not used anymore.
  • The water near the shore is transparent and you can see the turtles and fish swimming inside the sea.
  • Astola also has a small mosque which is used by fishermen who come from the mainland.
  • There are also the ruins of an ancient temple on the island. The temple belonged to the Hindu Goddess Kali.
  • The highest point of the island is 75m above sea level. It takes about 3 hours to reach the island from the mainland.

Unfortunately, the ecosystem of the island has been somewhat damaged. Cats and rats left behind by fishermen from the mainlands, have been a threat to turtle and bird nesting sites on the island.

Badshahi Mosque Facts

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Badshahi Mosque(Masjid) in Lahore, Pakistan is one of the best examples of Mughal architecture anywhere in the Indian subcontinent. Begun in 1671 under the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb (the sixth Mughal Emperor) it has had a checkered history but, following a complete restoration between 1939 and 1960, it is now a major tourist attraction as well as a center of Muslim worship and prayer.

Front view image of the Badshahi mosque.
Author: Ali Imran / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Some facts about Badshahi Mosque:

Northeastern minaret of Badshahi mosque from the inside.
Author / (CC BY-SA 3.0)
  • The construction of Badshahi Masjid started in 1671 and completed in 1673.
  • It was originally built to house a sacred relic, namely a strand of the Holy Prophet’s hair.
  • For more than 300 years (until 1986) it was the largest mosque in the World. It is still believed to be the fifth largest in the World.
  • The design is based on that of the Jama Mosque in Delhi that was built by Aurangzeb’s father, Shah Jahan.
  • The architecture incorporates Indian, Central Asian, Persian and Islamic elements.
  • The main Prayer Hall is more than 2100 square meters in size, and the courtyard occupies nearly 26,000 square meters.
  • The walls were built using small bricks assembled with lime mortar, then faced with red sandstone.
  • The main Prayer Hall is decorated with stucco tracery, frescoes, and inlaid marble.
  • The Mosque was built on a 6-meter high plinth to prevent flooding by the nearby Ravi River. The main entrance (from the east) is therefore approached by a flight of 22 three-sided steps.
  • The Mosque is symmetrical. The closeness of the river meant that it was not possible to build a northern gateway, so there is therefore no southern gateway either.
  • The main Prayer Hall is divided into seven sections by arches. Three of these chambers are surmounted by domes that are clad in white marble.
  • The four minarets at the corners of the Mosque are 54 metres high.
  • Badshahi Mosque suffered damage during the Sikh Empire of the early 18th century. An earthquake in 1840 destroyed the turrets at the tops of the minarets which were then used during the Sikh Civil War as gun emplacements to bombard the nearby Lahore Fort.
  • Repairs to the Mosque began in 1852, but the real restoration work took place in the 20th century, at a cost of around five million rupees.
Badshahi Mosque in the 1880’s
PD-old-100

Badshahi Masjid is a place of peace and tranquillity. It is well worth a visit not only as a wonderful example of Mughal architecture but as somewhere to offer prayer and be quiet for a time.