Museums in Islamabad ( Islamabad Travel Guide ), Pakistan

Museums in Islamabad: This is A Guide to Cultural, Religious, Ethnic, and Art history of Pakistan. From a tourist's point of view, it is very essential to know about the history of the country or city they are visiting. Islamabad being the capital of the country has amazing museums that help visitors to have a look at historic events, Personalities, and old civilizations. Here in this article, we are giving you an insight into what museums you can visit in Islamabad?

1. Lok-Virsa Museum

Pakistan national museum of  Ethnology (heritage museum) commonly known as Lok -Virsa museum was established in 1982. It covers an area of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet. In 2004, It was renamed a heritage museum.

The Heritage Museum has different galleries to depict different ethnicities, cultures, and religions present in the country. The primary purpose of this museum is to educate its tourists and future generations of Pakistan about the history, traditions, and different cultures of the country.

The heritage museum portrays the culture of the provinces of Pakistan. It also represents the historically significant civilizations, like Mohan jo Daro and Gandhara. This museum has different art galleries and shows different aspects of the country. Famous love stories like heer ranjha, Dhola Maru, and Haani Shah Muree, are also depicted by making statues and different artworks.

Lok Virsa museum renders different types of clothes, jewellery, metalwork, and woodwork from different cultures. Virsa museums also show different aspects of the religions like Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Christianity present in Pakistan.

Virsa museum also has a library that has different books on the culture, religion, and history of the country. Virsa media center focuses on cultural music by local artists. When you visit this museum you will see a group of musicians performing some cultural folk songs.

2. Pakistan Monument Museum

As the name suggests this museum shows the history of Pakistan,  pre, and post-independence.At the entrance, the Pakistan monument museum has pictures of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan) and Allama Muhammad Iqbal (poet and thinker ), and other great heroes.

Pakistani currency, stamps and other important information related to the country are displayed in this museum. This museums also has beautiful statues of Quaid e Azam and a great female political leader Fatima Jinnah .

This is an exemplary place if an individual is interested to know about the military,polictal history, and leaders of Pakistan. This museum has a special theater room that shows movies related to struggles during the partition time in 1947.

3. Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum

Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum is located at Golra Shareef railway station. This museum shows old tools , weapons, and other communication tools used by railway stations in the British era. It also has a gallery that depicts the British era, and post Independence history of Pakistan. This museum has a special display of the things related to railways like old engines and miniature engines.

Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum also has two old railway boogies. This museum represents an old Britishtish era railway station. There are 4 different types of train model set up to show visitors a classic look of pre 1947 railway station.

4. Pakistan Museum of Natural History

Pakistan Museum of Natural History museum was established in 1976. This museum gives an insight into the ecology, geology, and paleontology of Pakistan. This museum gives a great idea about animals, insects, fossils, habitats, and environmental problems of Pakistan.At the entrance, there is a large skeleton of a blue whale. This blue whale was found in Pasni Balochistan in 1967.

This place has animal sculptures and big structures of bones of different animals like elephants and blue whales. Information related to species and their conservation and extinction in different places of the country is written on the play cards along with specimens on the glass shelves.

5. Pakistan National council of Arts

This is a great place to visit to understand the performing arts, visual arts, and film and music industries of Pakistan. This art gallery arranges many art festivals and art exhibitions. There are beautiful paintings and art crafts displayed in this gallery.

Different events are held to memorize the great musicians and artists from history like Noor Jahan (great singer ), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan(legendary singer recognized on a universal level), and Abdur Rahman Chughta (Painter). Young talent is promoted to attend different classes and seminars related to art and music.

Nature & Parks in Islamabad (Islamabad Travel Guide)

Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is blessed by mother nature with amazing views, lush green parks, and beautiful margalla hills. If you want to plan a visit to Islamabad, you must visit the following beautiful parks in Islamabad;

1. Fatima Jinnah Park

Named after the great female political leader, Fatima Jinnah, this is also called F-9 park. This is located in the F-9 sector of Islamabad. This park consists of a large area of 70 acres and this was inaugurated in 1992. Micheal japareo designed this park.

F-9 park has a large area covered with greenery and big trees. There are different walking tracks available for jogging and exercise. The general public comes with their families to enjoy their time near nature. There is a play area for children including different types of swings. Park also has beautiful benches and sitting areas available near tea and snack stalls.

This park is also declared a wildlife sanctuary to preserve the wildlife in Islamabad. This park has a fantastic Mega Zone  Entertainment complex with a swimming pool area, a gym, a table tennis playing area, and a snooker area. Laser tag and bowling area are also available. Along with different food and tea stalls, the international food chain McDonald’s F-9 park is also available in this park.

Family fun galas, Car exhibitions, and aviation expos are arranged in this park for the public interest. If you want to enjoy your day with nature and take part in recreational activities you can consider visiting  F-9 park.

2. Rose and Jasmine Garden

Located near Shakar Parian, it is a beautiful park with a lot of beautiful flowers like roses and jasmine. This park has almost 250 types of roses and various types of jasmine flowers. This park is an amazing place if you want to walk in an area full of roses (red, white yellow)  and jasmine fields.

It covers an area of 20,360 sq. meters. This park has a  cafeteria and you can enjoy a picnic day here.  Different types of flowers, shrubs, and little plants are planted in this park. Flower exhibitions are conducted in this park every year.

3. Lake view Park

Lake view as the name suggests this park is located at Rawal lake. If you want to do all the activities like boating, motorboating, walking, and jogging in one place then lake view park is your destination. Rawal Lake is an artificial reservoir that is built on the korang river. A dam is made on this lake known as Rawal Dam. 

This place offers amazing activities like a rock climbing gym where you will see athletes practice their wall climbing. You can also find quad bikes on F1 Tracks and train rides. This place also has a fancy bird aviary. for the conservation of local species of birds like Pelican, Black Swan, Makao, Peacocks, Australian Parrot, and many other small and large Birds.

Tea stalls, ice-cream stalls, different food stalls, and a beautiful restaurant Dera is also available in lake view park. A special area for Bar B Q is also available with grills. This is an amazing area for children as they can have fun on different types of swings like dragon swing rides, slides, See-Saws, and Merry-Go-Rounds.

If you want to do water-related activities like swimming, fishing, or motor boating you can spend an amazing day at lake view park for these activities. Lake view park also arranges different types of music festivals and events.

4. Marghazar 

If you are an animal lover, marghazar is your destination in Islamabad. Marghazar is an Urdu language word that means “green land “.It covers an area of 82 acres and it was opened in 1978. It is a place for endangered specie like leopards, spotted deer, and Indian gazelle.

This zoo has different types of animals like lions, elephants, deer, ostriches, and monkeys. You can spend a beautiful day with these animals.

5.  Kachnar(orchid) Park

This park is located in the I-8 sector right next to the express highway. This park is for people who are fitness conscious. This has a 2.2km track for jogging. You will see people of different ages walking and jogging especially in the morning and evening.

There are some exercise bars available in this park along with sitting benches and beautiful trees.  A toilet facility is also available for the public.

6. Shakar Parian National Park

Shakar Parian Park is also declared a national park, it is located near zero point in Islamabad. Shakar Parian Park has historical importance as old Gakhars leader settled here before the Indo-Pak partition in 1947. 

It has a Pakistan monument( an architectural piece showing the history of Pakistan ) and a Pakistan monument museum. This park also hosts a Pakistan Day Parade performed by the Military every 23 march each year. This park is built on small hills known as Shakar Parian. This park is located at a height so visitors can view the city of Islamabad and Rawalpindi from the top.

This park has two points East viewpoint and a west viewpoint. At the east viewpoint, there is a fountain, a garden of pine trees( planted by different state heads who visit Pakistan ), and beautiful lush green terraces. On the west viewpoint, the Pakistan monument is located where you can see historical depictions of the country on the walls of this monument.

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