Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
that has a modern culture by synchronising itself with other capitals around the globe. Islamabad lies in a province of its own called
Islamabad Capital Territory
The Islamabad Capital Territory ( ur, , translit=Vafāqī Dār-alhakūmat) is the only federal territory of Pakistan. Located between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it includes the country's capital city of Islamabad. The terr ...
.
Cuisine
Islamabad is home to many diplomats, government officials and foreign workers and is reflected in their cuisine. Islamabad celebrates food festivals through its ethnic groups with examples such as the Food Festival 2011, Austrian Food Festival 2013 and Swiss Food Festivals. As Pakistan is known for its diverse, traditional food options such as
Nihari
Nihari (; bn, নিহারী; ); is a stew originating in Lucknow, the capital of 18th-century Awadh under the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of slow-cooked meat, mainly a shank cut of beef, lamb and mutton, or goa ...
,
Halwa Poori
Chole bhature () is a food dish popular in the Northern areas of the Indian subcontinent. It is a combination of chana masala (spicy white chickpeas) and bhatura/puri, a deep-fried bread made from maida. Although it is known as a typical Punjab ...
Chapli Kebab
Chapli Kebab or Chapli Kabab ( ps, چپلي کباب) is a Pashtun-style minced kebab, usually made from ground beef, mutton or chicken with various spices in the shape of a patty. The Chapli Kabab originally comes from the northern areas of Paki ...
, Islamabad's cuisine has further developed as they now have foreign franchises such as
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
,
KFC
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
,
Hardee's
Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate owne ...
,
Subway
Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to:
Transportation
* Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems
* Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle
* Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
, TGI Fridays, Cinnamon Café and China Grill. Fast food chains are as common as traditional food outlets in Islamabad.
Among foreigners and people of a more affluent background are seen in a famous eating area known as Kohsar Market which includes many cafe's and restaurants that range from Pakistani, continental to Thai cuisine.
The class distinction, moreover, has infiltrated not only the residential areas but also the many eateries that Islamabad hosts. Islamabad is home to a majority of Muslims and a minority of Christians. Christians are relegated to slum like neighborhoods in sectors of Islamabad like F-6, F-7, and G-11. Islamabad is a more affluent city at its core yet there are poorer areas within it that have been confined to specific sectors. Islamabad is a city where the government officials reside as it is mostly a political city at the heart of Pakistani politics. There are common eateries for political figures while there are others which are only for people of a possible middle or lower class.
Furthermore, People who live in
Bahria Town
Bahria Town (Private) Limited ( ur, ) is an Islamabad-based privately owned real-estate development company which owns, develops and manages properties across Pakistan.
It established its first gated community exclusively developed for the el ...
Islamabad is frequently mentioned and referred to in popular culture and fiction. The 2010 movie ''
Slackistan
''Slackistan'' is an independent film directed by London-based filmmaker, Hammad Khan, and written by Khan and his wife, Shandana Ayub. The film stars Shahbaz Hamid Shigri, Aisha Linnea Akhtar, Ali Rehman Khan, Shahana Khan Khalil, Osman Khalid B ...
'' is notably based on young teenagers living in Islamabad.
Entertainment facilities in Islamabad include:
* Rawal Lake
*
Pir Sohawa
Pir Sohawa (ٗUrdu:پیر سوہاوہ)is a rapidly developing tourist resort located from Islamabad on top of Margalla Hills. It has a 3000 plus ft elevation and is geographically part of Haripur District.On 6 January 2012, after almost six y ...
* Cinepax Movie Theatre
* F1 Tracks – Go Kart Racing
* Shakarpariyan Hills
* Cloud 9 International Club
* Monal Restaurant
* Centaurus mall
* F-9 Park Mega zone
Islamabad fashion scene mainly focuses on the various designer clothes that fit in with categories such as Mehndi Dressing and Wedding Dressing . The city hosts their annual Islamabad Fashion Week in which renowned designers present their best seasonal collection.
The youth culture in Islamabad is rather hidden. There is a large population of students can be found near Faisal Mosque, and small roadside eateries in the middle of the school day. There are theatre plays and concerts that take place at the Pakistan National Council of Arts which pull a large cross section of society towards them. There are food festivals and handicraft festivals in Islamabad which keep the small population (1.5 million) of the city entertained.
The Lok Virsa Museum is a heritage museum which has made its mark in the city of Islamabad. It is a celebration of many cultures within Pakistan but has a distinct appreciation for its location which is the city that hosts it. Islamabad is known for its greenery and mountains which are its landmark and appreciated by many tourists. As it is a newly developed, planned cities there is not much by way of historical sites of architecture within the city itself, however, the suburbs of the city host one of the oldest Buddhist universities in the world known as Taxila and other Buddhist Stupas. Shakarparian Park is the first amusement park in Islamabad which has a wide array of activities which can be enjoyed by all citizens in Islamabad.
In 2013, Islamabad's first Shopping Mall was opened to the public which led crowds to its doors for many years on a daily basis. The main attraction of the city is the Faisal Mosque which is popular for having the tallest minarets in South Asia and is a well-known spot for young people even if they are not visiting for worship.
See also
*
Culture of Karachi
The cultural history of Karachi goes back at least five thousand years to the emergence of the Indus Valley Civilization in the third millennium B.C. The early culture appears to be essentially Neolithic with widespread use of small chart imple ...