Islamabad Weekend Guide: Faisal Mosque to Margallas

Karachi ke paas samundar hai, Lahore ke paas deewar, aur Islamabad ke paas pahar hain. November aur December mein jab Lahore smog apni AQI ki kahani likh raha hota hai, Islamabad ka aasman saaf rehta hai aur subah ki thand mein shehar ki sab se pehchaani cheez, Faisal Mosque, pahaar ki god mein khadi hoti hai. Ye safar poori chhuttiyon ka nahi, do din ka hai, aur do din kaafi hain agar tarteeb sahi ho.

Faisal Mosque, the Tent That Became a Skyline

Faisal Mosque 1986 mein mukammal hua, Saudi Arabia ke King Faisal ke naam se aur unhi ke maali madad se, Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay ke design par, jo registaan ke Bedouin khaimay ko concrete ki zubaan mein dohraata hai. Chaar buland seedhay minar, koi gumbad nahi, aur peechay Margalla ki hariyal. Subah ki roshni mein ye masjid khud ek photo hai, aur maghrib ke baad is ki raoshni pahar se utarti dikhti hai. Bare dinon mein hazaron ki jamatein yahan hoti hain, magar aam din mein aap imarat ki wusaat aur sukoon dono ek sath le sakte hain.

The Monument, the Museum and the View

Shakarparian ki pahari par Pakistan Monument hai, jo 2007 mein khula, chaar phool ki shakal mein jo mulk ke soobon ki gawaahi deta hai, aur us ke sath hi Lok Virsa Heritage Museum, jahan har ilaqay ke libaas, baja aur karigari ek chhat ke neeche hain. Yahan se aadha din nikal sakta hai, aur photo ke liye behtareen waqt dopahar ka pehla hissa hai. Uske baad Daman-e-Koh ka mor, aur us se bhi upar Pir Sohawa, jahan raat ka shehar neeche chamakta dikhta hai.

Saidpur Village and the Food Trail

Margalla ke daman mein Saidpur Village basa hai, chand sau saal purana gaon jo ab culture aur khanay ki jagah ban chuka hai, patli galiyan, miti ke ghar aur pahar ke peechay dhalti dhoop. Wapas aakar shehar ka khana F-7 Markaz aur F-6 ki Kohsar Market ke gird milta hai, jahan kitaabein, khanay ki dukaanein aur chai ki baithakein ek chhatri mein hain, jaisa Sialkot city guide mein bhi hota hai.

Trails, Lakes and Slow Mornings

Margalla Hills National Park mein nambar wale rastay hain, jin mein Trail 5 aasaan samjhi jati hai aur Trail 3 chauri aur uthaau wali. Sardi mein subah jaldi nikalna behtar hai, paani aur jacket sath rakhein, aur akele na jayein. Shehar ki doosri taraf Rawal Lake ka nazaara hai, jahan shaam ki sawari aur chai ka intezaam milta hai. Yeh sab karna asaan hai kyunke Karachi, Lahore aur Islamabad airport guide ke mutabiq shehar ke raaste sade aur saaf hain, aur ride apps poora din chalti hain.

Getting In, Getting Around

Islamabad International Airport 2018 mein khula, shehar se taqreeban 25 km door, Srinagar Highway par. Lahore se M-2 par chaar ghantay, Peshawar se M-1 par do ghantay, aur Murree ki pahariyan ek se aadha ghantay door, jaisa Murree Galiyat guide likhta hai. Agle din ka behtareen day trip Taxila hai, jahan Gandhara ke pathar aap ko do hazaar saal se bhi zyada peeche le jaate hain, aur agar aap ka manzil north hai to Khunjerab Pass guide ISB se shuru hoti hai. Raat ka thikana airport ke qareeb wale hotels ki jagah F-6 ya F-7 mein lena behtar hai, jahan subah ki walk ka faida milta hai.

Islamabad shehar nahi, saans lene ki jagah hai; do din ka rukna hi is ki sab se bari kashish hai.

Ek Dil Se Baat

Margalla ki subah dekh kar dil jhukta hai ke Falasteen ki aulad ko bhi itni hi raoshan subah nasib ho. Wahan ghar girane walon ne bachon ki neend cheen li, bhook ko khabar bana kar dikhaya jata raha, aur is sab ke baad bhi zabani afsos hi duniya ka hisaab hai. Ya Rab, un ki galiyon mein phir se aahat, khushboo aur bachon ki hansi la, un par apni chhaya phaila. Sudan ki maaon ne ghar aur apne sab se pyare log dono khoyen hain; un ke aansu tere haath mein hain, un ko apni zameen ki taraf wapsi dikha. Ameen.

Aakhri Baat

Do din ka hisaab seedha hai: pehla din Faisal Mosque, monument aur museum, shaam Saidpur mein; doosra din Margalla ki trail ya Rawal Lake, aur wapisi se pehle Taxila ka mod. Agar Umrah ka safar isi hafte hai to Umrah from Islamabad guide aur Makkah Route Initiative wala pre-clearance faida bhi ISB se milta hai, aur shehar ka ek din aap ke liye buffer ban jata hai. HTG Travel ka desk Lahore, Karachi aur Peshawar ke guides ke sath Islamabad ka bhi poora hisaab rakhta hai, aur clients ke liye likhi hui itinerary deta hai jo koi dusra desk nahi deta. Aap bas dates batayein.