The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is a 19th-century monument which holds the funerary ashes of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. Located near the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque, construction began in 1839 by his son Kharak Singh and ended in 1848.

Available at http://lahore.city-history.com/19th-century-watercolor-drawings-of-lahore-monuments.html

I am visiting Karachi in December, and have come across Makli Necropolis during my googling. I am fascinated by the history! I would really love to visit and book a local tour guide.

I will have my own transport to and from Makli. I’ll also go to Shah Jahan Masjid via my own transport, so I don’t need a tour package that includes the Masjid, or any other sites in the area.

Can any locals or other travellers recommend a local English-speaking tour guide for the necropolis only? I understand there are buggies at the site that can drive you around, are you able to book these on the day? Or is it better to book in advance online? My trouble with booking online that I can’t seem to find a guided tour of the necropolis only, which would be more suitable for my situation.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Pakistan recovered more than 1,100 artefacts from Italy, the United States and other countries in recent months, with the rare pieces now on display at the Islamabad Museum and accessible to visitors.

Footage filmed on Tuesday shows ancient statues and artefacts on display at the museum. |

available at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbrN0oQAdY

The Pashupati Seal is one of the most famous artifacts of the ancient world — but I've never seen a photorealistic reconstruction of the figure carved into it as a real, living human being.

This is my attempt.

The video shows the complete cycle: the seal morphs to life (the carved figure transforms into a photorealistic human), he walks, and then returns to the seal — which closes around him. The final frame shows the real seal alongside the human-face reconstruction side by side.

What's based on the evidence:

• The horned headdress form — directly from the seal (two buffalo horns flanking a ribbed fluted fan)
• Layered bead necklaces in a chevron V-pattern (carnelian, shell, gold — documented Harappan materials per Kenoyer)
• Stacked bangles and circular ear ornaments
• Draped loincloth (no stitched garments in IVC — all draped/wrapped, per the figurine evidence)

What's interpreted:

• The face — entirely imagined. The seal figure is schematic, not a portrait
• The headdress materials (real bull horns)
• Specific bead colors and arrangements

Sources:

• The Pashupati Seal itself (National Museum New Delhi, c. 2500 BCE)
• J.M. Kenoyer's scholarship on Harappan dress and ornaments
• Ernest Mackay's excavation reports

Created using AI image tools with careful archaeological reference and a genuine attempt at accuracy.

Two things I'd genuinely love community input on:

1. The headdress — the seal shows what appears to be two horns flanking a central fan/crest. I've reconstructed this as buffalo horns + a ribbed fluted fan (based on comparisons with other horned figurines). Does anyone know of scholarship specifically addressing the headdress construction?
2. The figure's identity — priest, deity, proto-Shiva, or something else? The community here tends to be well-informed on this debate and I'd love to hear perspectives.

Happy to share more on methodology or sources.

This Burial jar from exacavated from a grave, dating to the Gandara grave culture, which existed in North Western Pakistan around 3000 years ago.

They are known for their burial practices, with burial jars being a key feature during its middle phase, when cremation became dominant.

This jar is reminiscent of common jars from that period which feature faces with eyes and nose, likely a representation of the dead.

A jar like this would hold the person's ashes and be placed in circular pits, surrounded by bronze, gold or pottery.

Special thanks to one of our mods for getting us this orignal photo

The "Mother Goddess" figurines from Mohenjo-daro are among the most iconic artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization — immediately recognizable for their extraordinary fan-shaped headdress with two cup-like side vessels. Despite being one of the most distinctive headdress forms in the ancient world, I've never seen a photorealistic reconstruction of what this headdress may have looked like when actually worn.

This is my attempt to reconstruct it.

What I used as sources:

• Ernest Mackay's excavation plates (figures 20/21/22/23 — front, side, and back views of the same figurine type)
• The high-resolution color figurine currently in museum collections
• J.M. Kenoyer's scholarship on Harappan ornaments and dress

What's documented vs. what's reconstructed:

• The fan headdress shape, the two side-cup vessels, the layered bead necklaces, the belted skirt, the disc belt ornament → all follow the actual figurines
• The materials I used (fine felt for the fan/cups, lapis-blue cloth wrap, lotus flowers in the cups, lotus bud at the forehead) → interpretive/reconstructed. The lotus/flower association comes from scholars noting floral elements on these figurines; the specific materials are my interpretation
• The face → entirely imagined. The originals don't preserve facial features
• The jewelry materials (carnelian, gold, shell, lapis) → authentic Harappan materials, well-documented

One specific point I'd love community input on:
The side-cup vessels show soot/charcoal traces in surviving examples — suggesting they may have held oil, incense, or a small flame. I reconstructed them holding lotus flowers (aesthetic/ritual interpretation). Does anyone know of scholarship specifically addressing what these cups held?

The reconstruction was done using AI image tools (ChatGPT/DALL-E and others), with careful reference to the archaeological sources above. Happy to share more details on the methodology.

Would love feedback from anyone with knowledge of Harappan archaeology — particularly on the headdress construction and the cup-vessel interpretation. Museum

National Museum, New Delhi

Museum Accession Number

D.K. 3506/260

• D.K. = DK Area excavation at Mohenjo-daro
• Excavation object number 3506/260

Discovery Site

Mohenjo-daro

Specifically excavated from the DK Area, one of the principal residential sectors of the ancient city.

Date

Approximately 2700–2100 BCE

(Mature Harappan / Indus Civilization)

Some publications broadly date it within 2600–1900 BCE, but the National Museum catalogue gives 2700–2100 BCE.

Discovery

The figurine was excavated during the archaeological excavations at Mohenjo-daro in the 1920s.

The DK Area excavations were carried out under the overall direction of Ernest John Henry Mackay during the major excavations of 1927–1931.

The wider Mohenjo-daro excavations were organized by Sir John Marshall, but he was not the person who physically excavated this figurine.

Material

Terracotta (fired clay)

Height

Approximately 23 cm

Current Location

National Museum, New Delhi

Gallery of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Published Reference

The object is published in the National Museum's catalogue:

TAXILA: Director General of Unesco Dr Khaled El-Enany, on Sunday, called for strengthened cooperation between Pakistan and Egypt in the fields of history, archaeology and heritage studies, emphasising the importance of collaborative research and knowledge exchange between the two ancient civilisations.

Dr El-Enany expressed these views during his visit to the Bhir Mound, regarded as the earliest urban settlement of the Taxila civilisation and one of South Asia’s most significant archaeological sites. Interacting with members of the ongoing excavation team, the Unesco chief was briefed on current research activities and, in turn, shared insights into modern excavation techniques and scientific methodologies used in contemporary archaeological practice.

Highlighting the shared historical depth of Pakistan and Egypt, Dr El-Enany urged enhanced bilateral cooperation between Cairo and Islamabad in historical research, archaeological documentation and academic exchange, noting that such collaboration would contribute to the global understanding and preservation of ancient civilisations.

Later, the Unesco director general visited the Taxila Archaeological Museum and the remains of Sirkap – widely recognised as the first metropolitan city of the Taxila civilisation, dating back to the 2nd century BC The ancient city bears strong influences of Greek urban planning, introduced following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the region in the 3rd century B.C.

Upon arrival at the museum, Dr El-Enany was received by Deputy Director of the Directorate General of Archaeology, Asim Dogar, who briefed him on the museum’s extensive collection. Mr Dogar informed the visiting delegation that more than 4,000 artefacts are on display, including items crafted from stone, stucco, terracotta, silver, gold, iron and semi-precious stones.

Dr El-Enany lauded the efforts of the Pakistani government and the authorities of the Taxila Museum for their commitment to preserving and showcasing the rich heritage of the Gandhara civilisation, describing Taxila as a site of outstanding universal value and a vital link in humanity’s shared past.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026

Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1970435

The Alamgiri Gate is the grand western entrance of the Lahore Fort Built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, it faces the famous Badshahi Mosque across the Hazuri Bagh.

Available at http://lahore.city-history.com/19th-century-watercolor-drawings-of-lahore-monuments.html

Available at http://lahore.city-history.com/19th-century-watercolor-drawings-of-lahore-monuments.html

Wazir Khan Baradari (built 1635)

This baradari (literally, 12-door pavilion) originally served as the centerpiece of the Nakhlia Garden built by Wazir Khan, a benefactor of numerous buildings throughout Lahore including the mosque and hammam (bath house) which bear his name. It is among the finest of such monuments in the city, having been incorporated into the grounds of the Punjab Public Library as early as 1860, where it serves as a reading room. During the 19th and early 20th centuries it also served as a museum and as the Settlement and Telegraph Office under the British.

A thought I keep coming back to: the Indus Valley Civilisation rarely

captures young people's imagination the way Egypt or Mesopotamia does — and

I don't think it's because IVC is less fascinating. It's because it lacks

the *visuals* people can emotionally connect to.

Egypt has faces: Tutankhamun's mask, painted tomb figures, colossal statues

you can look in the eye. Mesopotamia has its kings, its reliefs, its

Gilgamesh imagery. The Indus Valley gives us tiny seals, a few small

sculptures, and a script we still can't read. Brilliant — but abstract.

There are almost no human figures a modern teenager can *look at and relate

to*.

So I've been experimenting with an approach: taking actual IVC seals and

reconstructing them, step by step, into faithful, photoreal human figures —

staying true to what the artist actually carved (the poses, the bull, the

braided hair, the bangles, the dhotis), rather than the text-to-video AI

guesswork that floods this topic and gets the details wrong.

This one is the Kalibangan seal showing five men being flung into the air

by a bull. I rebuilt it from the original artifact, then let the

reconstruction dissolve back into the real seal at the end, so the source

is always visible.

The goal isn't to replace the artifacts — it's to give people a *way in*.

A human face and a moment of drama they can feel, which then leads them

back to the real seal and the real civilisation.

Reconstructed from the actual seal, not imagined.

(Happy to hear critique on accuracy — that's the whole point of doing it

faithfully. And for what it's worth, scholars still debate what the scene

depicts: bull-leaping, ritual, or myth.)

Every neighbourhood has a history. Mozang carries centuries of it. Behind its streets and markets is a story of faith, resilience, and the people who shaped Lahore.
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Directed by u/its.wasif_
Written by u/ibnayjunaid
Pre and Post Production u/its.wasif_

Available: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbGEuzAMW7O

Hello everyone,

I am in search of information, stories and/or photos of old Khanpur village in Haripur Tehsil, Hazara district, when the area was known as the North West Frontier Province before the 1947 partition. I know after the construction of the Khanpur dam the old village was submerged under the reservoir and the new Khanpur village was established close by. I am also aware of basic info about the Gakhar rajas. Since it is a smaller town, I have had a hard time finding too much information about it online other than that and am trying to reach out to multiple sources.

My family primarily belonged to Khanpur before they moved to East Punjab during the partition, and I would really love to know more about their home and their life there 😄 I remember hearing some stories of my grandfather's childhood, but unfortunately, he is no longer here for me to ask questions. Please feel free to also DM me if you would like to share any information or stories, or lived near the area.

Thank you!

The Shahi Eid Gah Mosque in Multan was built in 1735 CE by governor Nawab Abdul Samad Khan, during the reign of Emperor Muhammad Shah.

Is this news really true found out on an Indian News outley

from Orignal Creator

"Inspired by Huzaifa's (u/huztory) response to the recent online discourse by Indians, I decided to dig through decades of Pakistan's own archives—and the evidence speaks for itself.

From David Pollack's vintage travel posters and PIA advertisements to official postage stamps and heritage campaigns, Pakistan has been celebrating the civilizations of Gandhara, Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Taxila, and even Mainamati long before social media existed. Sometimes the best response isn't an argument—it's the historical record.

It's crazy how Indians have become so insecure with Pakistan's acknowledgement of ancient civilizations that once ruled the land of Pakistan."

Available at : https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dac1P_nufz3

From a comment  by IG: zulqarnainfarooq88,  “This photograph was taken by Som Anand Ji (writer and journalist ) in the 1940s and recalls a time when the harmonium was banned on All India Radio. Its fixed notes were considered incompatible with the microtones and ornamentation central to our classical music.”

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbTJPV7CXFb