Culture of Pakistan

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The 17th century Badshahi Mosque built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore

The society and culture of Pakistan (Urdu:ثقافتِ پاکستان‎ S̱aqāfat-e Pākistān) comprises numerous ethnic groups: the Punjabis,Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makraniin the south; Baloch, Hazaras and Pashtun in the west; and the ancient Dardic, Wakhi,Baltistani and Burusho communities in the north. The culture of these Pakistani ethnic groups have been greatly influenced by many of its neighbors, such as the other South Asians, Turkic peoples as well as the peoples of Central Asia and the Middle East.

The origins of the current Pakistani culture can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilization, which was contemporaneous with the ancient Egyptian and Sumeriancivilizations, around 5500 years ago. The region has formed a distinct unit within the main geographical complex of South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia from the earliest times, and is analogous to the position of Afghanistan.^[1] There are differences among the ethnic groups in cultural aspects such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamicpractices. Their cultural origins also reveal influences from far afield, including China,India and Afghanistan. Pakistan was the first region of South Asia to be fully impacted byIslam and has thus developed a distinct Islamic identity, historically different from areas further east.^[1]

Literature

PoetryEdit

Main articles: Pakistani poetry and List of Urdu Poets

Poetry is a highly respected art and profession in Pakistan. The pre-eminent form of poetry in Pakistan almost always originates in Persian, due in part to the long-standing affiliation and heavy admiration the regions rulers once had for certain aspects of foreign Persian culture. The enthusiasm for poetry exists at a regional level as well, with nearly all of Pakistan's provincial languages continuing the legacy. Since the independence of the country in 1947 and establishment of Urdu as the national language, poetry is written in that language as well. The Urdu language has a rich tradition of poetry and includes the famous poets Dr. Allama Iqbal (national poet), Meer Taqi Meer, Mirza Ghalib, Faiz Ahmad Faiz,Ahmad Faraz, Habib Jalib, Jazib Qureshi, andAhmad Nadeem Qasimi. Apart from Urdu poetry, Pakistani poetry also has blends of other regional languages. Balochi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Seraiki, and Pashto poetry have all incorporated and influenced Pakistani poetry.

Performing arts

Visual artsEdit

PaintingEdit

Abdul Rehman Chughtai, Sughra Rababi, Ustad Allah Baksh, Aboo B. Rana, Ajaz Anwar,Ismail Gulgee, Jamil Naqsh, and Sadequainare prominent and outstanding creative painters of Pakistan. Pakistani vehicle art is a popular folk art.

ArchitectureEdit

Main article: Pakistani architecture

The Lahore Fort, a landmark built during the Mughal era, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The architecture of the areas now constituting Pakistan can be traced to four distinct periods: pre-Islamic, Islamic, colonial, and post-colonial. With the beginning of theIndus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium^[2] B.C., an advanced urban culturedeveloped for the first time in the region, with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day.^[3] Mohenjo Daro, Harappaand Kot Diji belong to the pre-Islamic era settlements. The rise of Buddhism, Guptas,Mouryas, and the Persian and Greek influence led to the development of the Greco-Buddhiststyle, starting from the 1st century CE. The high point of this era was reached with the culmination of the Gandhara style. An example of Buddhist architecture is the ruins of the Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi inKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The arrival of Islam in today's Pakistan introduced the classical Islamic construction techniques into Pakistan's architectural landscape.^[4] However, a smooth transition to predominantly picture-less Islamic architecture occurred. The town of Uch Sharifcontains the tombs of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim, and Jalaluddin Bukhari, which are considered some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in Pakistan and are on the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site list since 2004.^[5] One of the most important of the few examples of the Persian style of architecture is the tomb of the Shah Rukn-i-Alam in Multan. During the Mughal era, design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with, and often produced playful forms of, local art, resulting in the establishment of Mughal Architecture.Lahore, occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them theBadshahi mosque, the fortress of Lahore with the famous Alamgiri Gate, the colourful, still strongly Mughal-influenced Wazir Khan Mosque as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. The Shahjahan Mosque ofThatta in Sindh also originates from the epoch of the Mughals, as does the Mohabbat Khan Mosque in Peshawar.

In the British colonial age, the buildings developed were predominantly of the Indo-European style, with a mixture of European and Indian-Islamic components. Post-colonial national identity is expressed in modern structures like the Faisal Mosque, the Minar-e-Pakistan and the Mazar-e-Quaid.