The tower reflects a blend of Mughal/Islamic and modern architecture.
The tower was designed and supervised by, Nasreddin Murat-Khan, a Russian-born Pakistani architect and civil engineer.[5] The minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can access the top by climbing up the stairs or by means of an elevator.
The tower base is shaped like a flower. The area surrounding the monument is covered with parks and flowers. The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower of Pakistan".[6]
Structure
The monument sits atop a plinth.
The base is about 8 metres above the ground. The tower rises about 62 metres on the base, and the total height of the Minar is about 70 metres above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 metres high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces Badshahi Mosque. The base consists of four platforms. To symbolise the humble beginning of the struggle for freedom, the first platform is built with uncut stones from Taxila, the second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, and the third platform is made of chiselled stones. Polished white marble used for the fourth and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.[7][8] The structure uses the imagery of crescents and stars, signs that symbolize the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in the National Flag.[4]
Mr. Mukhtar Masood, a prolific writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members of the Building Committee for the tower. Services Engineer Mian Abdul Ghani Mughal went on to build many other landmarks of Pakistan, including Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, City Hospital Gujranwala, Chand da Qila By-Pass Gujranwala, Lords Hotel, and University of Punjab Campus Gujranwala.[citation needed]
The foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1960. Construction took eight years, and was completed on 21 October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs 7,058,000.[4] The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of Akhter Husain, governor of West Pakistan.[9]
Significance
Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the national emblem of Pakistan,[10] and an expression of post-colonial national identity.[citation needed]
Notable visits and events
On February 21, 1999, Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to visit Minar-e-Pakistan (previous Indian state visits to Pakistan had not included a visit to Lahore).[11] Vajpayee's visit was compared to Nixon's visit to China in terms of significance.[12]
Minar-e-Pakistan has served as the location for a number of rallies.[13] The rallies have often caused damage to the surrounding flora, according to the Parks and Horticulture Authority. In 2014, the Punjab government considered banning any political or non-political large gatherings.[14]
^ abJamal, Amna Nasir (23 March 2002). "The Pakistan Day memorial". Dawn. pp. Dawn Young World. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
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