Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Islamabad (Pakistan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument, and Islamabad Zoo. Also, be sure to include Lal Masjid in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Islamabad (F.C.T.).
Table of Contents
Faisal Mosque
Also known as: فیصل مسجد
Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Faisal Mosque is a national mosque of Pakistan, located in capital Islamabad. It is the sixth-largest mosque in the world and the largest within South Asia, located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad. The mosque features a contemporary design consisting of eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by the design of a typical Bedouin tent.
A major tourist attraction in Pakistan, the mosque is a contemporary and influential piece of Islamic architecture.
Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after a $28 million grant from Saudi King Faisal, whose name the mosque bears. The unconventional design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an international competition. Without a typical dome, the mosque is shaped like a Bedouin tent, surrounded by four 260 feet (79 m) tall minarets. The design features eight-sided shell shaped sloping roofs forming a triangular worship hall which can hold 10,000 worshippers.
Combined the structure covers an area of 33 acres (130,000 m2; 1,400,000 sq ft), the mosque dominates the landscape of Islamabad. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the national park. Faisal Mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993 when it was overtaken by the mosques in Saudi Arabia. Faisal Mosque is now the sixth largest mosque in the world in terms of capacity.[1]
Address: Hill Side Rd, E-7, 54000 Islamabad
Pakistan Monument
Also known as: پاکستان یادگار
Monument in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Pakistan Monument is a national monument and heritage museum located on the western Shakarparian Hills in Islamabad, Pakistan. The monument was constructed to symbolize the unity of the Pakistani people. It is dedicated to the people of Pakistan who sacrificed their "today" for a better "tomorrow". Its elevation makes the monument visible from across the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is a popular tourist destination.[2]
Address: Garden Avenue, Islamabad
Islamabad Zoo
Zoo with lions, turtles, birds and more. Islamabad Zoo, previously Marghazar Zoo, was an 82-acre zoo in Islamabad Capital Territory. It was opened in 1978, and was under the administration of Capital Development Authority of Pakistan before its closure in December 2020 due to its mistreatment of animals.
In May 2020, the High Court ruled to transfer management of the park to the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board and transfer all animals to shelters, and the board took administrative control in June 2021. A renovation of the zoo as a conservation centre is being planned.[3]
Lal Masjid
Also known as: لال مسجد
Mosque best known for a 2007 siege. The Lal Masjid is a mosque located in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It was constructed in 1966 as one of the oldest mosques in the new capital. It was also the largest mosque in the city for twenty years, until the Faisal Mosque was built in 1986.
The mosque late came to be known as the site of a siege which led to a military operation (Operation Silence) by the Pakistan Army against the leaders and students of the mosque, resulting in hundreds of deaths.[4]
Address: Masjid Rd, Islamabad
Margalla Hills
Also known as: سلسلہ کوہ مارگلہ
Range in Pakistan. The Margalla Hills is a hill range within the Margalla Hills National Park on the northern edge of Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, just south of Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is part of the Himalayan foothills. The Margalla range has an area of 12,605 hectares. It is a range with many valleys as well as high mountains.[5]
Prime Minister's Secretariat
Also known as: وزیراعظم ہاؤس
The Prime Minister's Office is the principal workplace of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and is headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Tauqir Shah.
It is responsible for formulating policies for the Prime Minister's cabinet, conducting its cabinet meetings, and supervising and overseeing the implementation of the Cabinet's policy.
In addition, it is in charge of other governmental bodies, which report directly to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's Office is located on Red Zone, Islamabad, Pakistan.[6]
Address: Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
Rawal lake
Also known as: راول جھیل
Reservoir in Pakistan. Rawal Lake in Pakistan is an artificial reservoir that provides the water needs for the cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Korang River along with some other small streams coming from Margalla Hills have been set to form this artificial lake which covers an area of 8.8 km². Korang River is the outlet stream of Rawal Dam. Rawal Lake is located within an isolated section of the Village Malpur, Bani Gala and Margalla Hills National Park.[7]
Golra Sharif
Shrine in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Shrine of Meher Ali Shah is a 20th-century Sufi shrine that serves as the tomb of the Peer Meher Ali Shah, an early 20th-century Sufi scholar of the Chisti order, who was also a leader of the anti-Ahmadiya movement. The shrine is located within the Islamabad Capital Territory, in the village of Golra Sharif. Now-a-days Golra Sharif is widely known for one of its custodians Pir Syed Naseer Uddin Naseer Gilani. The shrine's longest serving Sajjada nashin was Peer Syed Shah Abdul Haq Gilani, the younger son of Babuji, who took care of the shrine for approximately 46 years. Presently, the shrine is managed by the heirs of both, Syed Ghulam Moinuddin Gilani and Syed Shah Abdul Haq Gilani.[8]
Address: Golra Rd, Islamabad
National Art Gallery
Art gallery in Islamabad, Pakistan. National Art Gallery in Islamabad, Pakistan is the country's first national art gallery. Built on a small hillock opposite the Majlis-e-Shoora and the Aiwan-e-Sadr. It opened to the public on Sunday, August 26, 2007. National Art Gallery, Pakistan is a part of the larger organization called Pakistan National Council of the Arts.
In 2007, Director General of PNCA was Naeem Tahir.
In 2017, Director General of Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) was Jamal Shah.[9]
Rama Temple
Hindu temple in Pakistan. Rama Temple is situated in Saidpur Village, Islamabad, Pakistan. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Rama who Hindus believe lived in the area with his family during 14 years of their exile. The temple is built in the 16th century. According to official records dating back to 1893, a fair was held each year at a pond near the site called "Ram Kund" to commemorate that Ram and his family had once sipped water from it. For centuries, Hindus have travelled far and wide to worship at the temple, staying in an adjoining Dharamshala. However, all the idols have now been removed.[10]
Lake View Park
Wildlife park in Islamabad, Pakistan. Lake View Park is a wildlife park, amusement park and adventure park located near Village Malpur Rawal Lake, on Murree Road in Islamabad, Capital Territory, Pakistan. It runs under the administration of Capital Development Authority. This park also contains Pakistan's largest bird cage.[11]
Shakarparian
Also known as: شکر پڑياں
Amusement park in Islamabad, Pakistan. Shakarparian is a hill, and a national park located near the Zero Point Interchange in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan Monument and Pakistan Monument Museum are also located in Shakarparian. The old Gakhars tribe leaders settled here before Indo-Pak partition 1947; later the clan was relocated to create a park for newly marked federal capital of the country in 1960-61.
Shakarparian also has a Parade ground which hosts the Pakistan Day Parade every year on 23 March.[12]
Pakistan Museum of Natural History
Museum in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan Museum of Natural History, established in 1976, is a public natural history museum situated in Islamabad, the federal capital of Pakistan.
It has exhibits and galleries which display and provide information about the ecology, geology, and paleontology of the country. Currently, the museum houses a collection of over 600,000 objects. The museum also acts as a research center and works closely with the Lok Virsa Museum. The museum is open to public everyday, except for Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm. The museum is managed by the Pakistan Science Foundation, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.[13]
Address: Garden Ave, 44000 Islamabad
Lok Virsa Museum
Also known as: لوک ورثہ عجائب گھر
Museum in Islamabad, Pakistan. Heritage Museum, also known as Lok Virsa Museum is a museum administered and managed by Lok Virsa - National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage. It is a museum of history and culture in Islamabad, Pakistan, located on the Shakarparian Hills showcasing the living cultures of Pakistan. The museum opened in 1974 and became an autonomous institute in 2002 following the Lok Virsa Legal Status Ordinance, 2002. The museum consists of several buildings as well as an outdoor museum which can accommodate up to 3000 visitors.[14]
Fatima Jinnah Park
Park in Islamabad, Pakistan. Fatima Jinnah Park, also known as Capital Park or F-9 Park, is a public recreational park that spans the whole of Sector F-9 of Islamabad, Pakistan. It is named after Mādar-e Millat Fatima Jinnah, the younger sister of the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
At 304 hectares (750 acres), it is just smaller than New York's Central Park. It was designed by Michael Japero, and was inaugurated in 1992. The park’s original master plan was prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and was revised in 2005 by Pakistani architect Nayyar Ali Dada.
Fatima Jinnah Park's vast acreage is mostly covered by greenery, with a few man-made structures dotting the landscape. Most of the park area is effectively a wildlife sanctuary, except for a few areas of the park that are close to residential districts. The park is bounded by a steel fence with entrance doors placed at regular intervals, although only a few are routinely open and used. A further strip of land outside of the fence is lined with a footpath. A well laid network of footpaths lies inside the park, with neat grass and a few statues.[15]