The city of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is located on the Pothohar Plateau within the Islamabad Capital Territory—one of the earliest known sites of human settlement in Asia. The capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad is located in the northwest of the country on Potohar Plateau. This area has been significant in history for being a part of the crossroads of the Rawalpindi and the North West Frontier Province.
Islamabad is the Capital of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The city was built between 1960 – 1970 to replace Karachi as the capital. The idea of the national capital of Islamabad was conceived by President Ayub Khan (1907–1974). Karachi had been the capital because it was Pakistan’s commercial center, but it was not considered an appropriate administrative center due to many issues and therefore a planned city became a necessity & Islamabad came into being.
The culture prevailing in Islamabad is modern that is at synch with other internationalized cities. It has a relatively recent history, being established as a planned city just 50 years ago. Islamabad has a reputation of being a thriving, business-minded capital that lies in the centre of Pakistan’s growing urbanized scene. The white marble Faisal Mosque, which is an important landmark of the city one of the largest mosques in the world, is a central point of tourists as is the bustling Jinnah Market. The Islamabad Museum contains many relics and artifacts dating back to the Gandhara period of the region, an intriguing fusion of Buddhist and Graeco-Roman styles.
The living culture of Islamabad and Pakistan is best explored at Lok Virsa Museum, as well as the Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage in Shakarparian Park.