Istanbul Square Urdu: Istanbul Chowk | |
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Roundabout | |
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Opening date | Public |
Location | Lahore, Pakistan |
Coordinates: 31°34′09″N74°18′25″E / 31.569058°N 74.307012°E |
Istanbul Square is a roundabout at the intersection of Mall Road and Prof. Ashfaq Ali Khan Road in the heart of Lahore, Pakistan. It is named after Istanbul, Turkey, the sister city of Lahore.
The square was designed by architects from Punjab University, University of Engineering and Technology, the National College of Arts and the Alama Iqbal Campus of the University of the Punjab. [1] The new design has a tall pole in the middle of the square with hundreds of small birdhouses on it. Mainly pigeons use these houses and the city folk come to feed these pigeons. [2] [3] The square was already called Istanbul Chowk; however it had no special design and only had a boat fixed to it. [4]
Transport in Pakistan is extensive and varied. In recent years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways which have improved trade and logistics within the country. Pakistan's rail network is also undergoing expansion in recent years. Airports and seaports have been built with the addition of foreign and domestic funding. Transportation challenges in Pakistan are escalating due to poor planning, inadequate governance, and corrupt practices.
Lahore is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and 26th largest in the world, with a population of over 13 million. Located in north-eastern Punjab along the River Ravi, it is the largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Lahore is one of Pakistan's major industrial and economic hubs. It has been the historic capital and cultural centre of the wider Punjab region, and is one of Pakistan's most socially liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan cities.
Rawalpindi is the third-largest city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is a commercial and metropolitan city being the fourth most populous in previous census of 2017 in Pakistan. It is located near the Soan River in north-western Punjab, and is the third-largest Punjabi-speaking city in the world. Rawalpindi is situated close to Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the "twin cities" because of the social and economic links between them.
Gujranwala is a city and capital of Gujranwala Division located in Pakistan. It is also known as "City of Wrestlers" and is quite famous for its food. It is the 5th most populous city proper after Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi respectively. Founded in the 18th century, Gujranwala is a relatively modern town compared to the many nearby millennia-old cities of northern Punjab. The city served as the capital of the Sukerchakia Misl state between 1763 and 1799, and is the birthplace of the founder of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Jaranwala is a city and capital of Jaranwala Tehsil located in the Faisalabad District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 58th largest city of Pakistan.
Layyah District, is a district in the Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the southern part of the province. The city of Layyah is the administrative headquarter of Layyah District. Layyah has hot desert climate.
Allama Iqbal Town is a commercial and a residential locality in the south-western Lahore.
Gawalmandi is a residential town located in the central part of the city of Lahore, Pakistan.
Chowrangi or chowk (चौक/چوک) is an Urdu word meaning crossroads. It is where two major roads cross each other. This may be facilitated by a roundabout or an overpass/underpass.
The city of Karachi is a major transport hub of Pakistan. The Karachi port and airport are major gateways to Pakistan. The Karachi Railway stations transports the major part of Pakistan's trade with other countries.
Charing Cross, officially known as Faisal Chowk, is a major road intersection in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Located on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, it is a popular site for protests within Lahore.
There are several modes of transport available in Lahore.
Jallo Park, established in 1978, is a public recreation and wildlife site located in Lahore District, Punjab, Pakistan. Spread over an area of 461 acres (187 ha), it is one of the three main wildlife parks located in Lahore, the other two being Changa Manga and Lahore Zoo Safari. The park is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) east to Lahore city. Facilities at Jallo Park include a Forest Research Centre, Wildlife Breeding Center, restaurants, coffee shops, a theme park, a sports complex, swimming pool, and a large lake for fishing and boating. It is currently funded by Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department of Government of Punjab. It is easily accessible by taxi, TransLahore buses and Lahore City Commuter trains that stop at Jallo Railway Station. Now the area of 100 acre is allotted to the Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore by govt of Punjab there PHA established Botanical Garden Jallo and Butterfly House facility for the public.
The Summit Minar is an obelisk-shaped structure built in the centre of Charing Cross, Mall Road in the city of Lahore, Punjab the province of Pakistan. It was built to commemorate the second Islamic Summit Conference held in Lahore from 22 to 24 February 1974. It is located in front of WAPDA House and the Punjab Assembly Building.
The Lahore Metrobus is a bus rapid transit service operating in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore Metrobus service is integrated with Lahore Transport Company's local bus service to operate as one urban transport system, providing seamless transit service across Lahore District with connections to neighboring suburban communities. The Lahore Metrobus was designed to be opened in stages, with the first stage opening on 11 February 2013 stretching from Gajumata to Shahadra. The 27 km stretch was opened during a ceremony by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif along with Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Bekir Bozdağ. The second and third stages have been put on hold, as proposals have been put forth to convert the remaining stages to light rail.
Chowk Kumharanwala Level II Flyover also called Jinnah Chowk Flyover is located in Multan city of Pakistan, at an intersection itself called as Chowk Kumharanwala, Jinnah Chowk or Qadaffi Chowk. Foundation stone was put by former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and ground breaking of level I flyover was also done by Yousaf Raza Gillani on 26 April 2011. It was constructed as part of Inner Ring Road Multan project.
Orange Line is an automated rapid transit line in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan and the first driverless metro in Pakistan. It is operated by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority and forms part of the Lahore Metro system. The line is Pakistan's first metro train. The line spans 27.1 km (16.8 mi) with 25.4 km (15.8 mi) elevated and 1.72 km (1.1 mi) underground. The line is served by 26 stations and is expected to handle 250,000 passengers daily.
Dolphin Force is an elite unit of the Punjab Police that focuses on combating street crime. It was modeled after the Istanbul Police Dolphin Force and launched by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, in Lahore in 2016. Since then, it has been expanded to Six other cities in the province, with a total of 696 policemen trained in its second phase.
Haveli Dina Nath is a haveli within the old city of Lahore, near Delhi Gate. It lies adjacent to the Dewan Baij Nath Haveli on its north side, with its entrance accessible via Koocha Baij Nath.
"Before this project, a boat was fixed on this intersection reflecting no message or artwork that could please passersby despite the fact that its name was Istanbul Chowk. After undertaking the assignment, we involved experts from various aforementioned institutions, groups who presented various models of the intersection," Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Sumbal told Dawn after inaugurating the site.