Reshama Ji | Daughter of the Desert

An ill-fated romance from Punjabi heartlands which continues to live in our hearts. Artwork credits: Abeer Kasiri Once upon a time,...

Reshun's braveheart Chirmaan Hakim of Reshun was a warrior, a courtier and a diplomat hailing from Chitral’s Singhaye tribe. After the...

Remembering Shehzada Saleem and his beloved In the 16th century, a King named Akbar ruled India. So one day, the king arrives at the...

Your love or your blood? Centuries ago, twelve generations after Heer, a beautiful girl was born to a tribal chief of the Sial clan. Her...

A tale of forbidden love between the Mughal Princess Zeb-un-Nissa and then-Governor of Lahore, Akil Khan If you talk of Lahore, how can...

Rai Abdullah Khan Bhatti, who goes more popularly by the name of Dulla Bhatti, is a Punjabi folk hero, alive in Punjabi folk music even...

Al-Khwarizmi's work named after Sindh: Al-Khwarizmi was a Muslim scientist who lived in Baghdad, where he worked at the Dar-al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) set up by Caliph al-Mamun. Amongst his other works, compiled a set of astronomical tables (Zīj), based on various Hindu and Greek sources. However, since his focus was primarily on Hindu sources, the book is called "Zij al-Sindhind" - The Astronomical Book of Sindh. Modern-day Sindh in Pakistan was the furthest point where Mus

The history of the churches in Pakistan is part of the history of Christianity in the Indian sub-continent. Their beginnings can be traced to the work of several Christian missions from the 16th century onwards. The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterian (Scottish), which took place in 1970. Here are some of the country's most beautifully constructed cathedrals and churches. Saint Patrick's Cathedra

Art History from the Muslim World Xylography, or woodblock printing, moved westwards from China into the Islamic world as early as the eighth century. Arabic woodcut prints today only have been the subject of much scholarly research. This particular typology was often used exclusively for amulets and other religiously influenced artworks Here are some stunning xylographic prints and woodblocks from various regions of the Islamic World. An atique from the 1920's, a title page

Fal, and Falnamah's - a tradition lost Fal, a local form of cartomancy, has gradually been lost to the passage of time. Soothsayers and fortune tellers, sitting upon dusty footpaths, dressed in crisp, starched and ironed shalwar kameez, with their trusted old friend, a parrot as their companion, used to be heard calling out their wares. Should a customer walk up to them, the parrot would be directed to walk away. The fortune-teller would then shuffle the cards and hold them o

A lesser-known Calcolithic civilization in Pakistan Nindowari, also known as Nindo Damb, is an archaeological site from the Kulli civilisation. Dating back to 2500 - 2000 BCE, the Kulli region fell under the regions identified as Arachosia and Gedrosia. Arachosia is the Hellenized name of the ancient easternmost province of the Achaemenid empire. It was centred around the valley of the Arghandab River (modern-day southern Afghanistan) and extended to the Indus River (presen

As legend has it, once upon a time, in a village near Chitral lived a strange man. His face was half black and half white. He was also known for having the gift, or curse, of second sight, however you choose to put it. Not only could he see beyond the veil, but che ould also move back and forth between our world and the otherworld. He was known for his friendships with the fairies. He spent several hours of his day conversing with them, playing with them, and learning from t

The story behind a beautiful Sufi Qalam Rang is a beautiful and soul-stirring qalaam by Amir Khusrow, known as both the father of Qawaali in the Indian subcontinent and Urdu. He wrote it in the form of a letter to his mother, a beautiful piece of poetry, to describe his meeting and surrender to his beloved teacher, the mystic Nizamuddin Auliya. Attached, is a performance by the late Amjad Sabri, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the undisputed, ever-green kings of Qawaali in Pakistan

And other rainbow myths Did you know that the Urdu word for rainbow, "Qaus-e-Qazah", comes from Arabic? Well, many words in the language do, no surprise there, so why write about it? Well, did you know the word's roots lie in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology? The September equinox is also known as the southward equinox. It is the moment when the sun appears to cross south of the celestial equator. Due to variations in calendar years, the event can occur any day between 21st-24th

Did you know that a gemstone stolen from the Indian Subcontinent landed at Cartier? Yes, you read that right! We've tried to sum up what transpired and lead up to it. As ever more prestigious clients rolled into the Cartier Mansion, P. Cartier insisted that they must only deal in large jewels, staying true to their reputation. Thus, he invested in a stone so large that if unsold, the cash flow dent could be an existential threat for the firm! The diamond was the Hope Diamond,

Two diamonds from the Indian subcontinent, the White Orlov and the Black Orlov have histories shrouded in myth and legend, both of which found their way to Europe during the days of the British Raj. As for the White Orlov, it is now part of the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin. It weighs 189.62 ct and has not been recut into a more modern style from the modified rose-cut style it was given earlier. The Russian government has put up a virtual tour of the spectacular collect

The Malki Necropolis in Pakistan's Sindh province is one of the most magnificent and largest funerary sites globally. Spanning over an area of approximately 10 kilometres, it houses over half a million tombs built over four centuries! The closest city to the Necropolis is Thatta, the capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughals. Thus, the city was constantly embellished from the 14th to the 18th century, of which the historical monuments at the Necropo

Technology from Pakistan's Mehrgarh civilization used by NASA Did you know that a 6,000-year-old amulet from Pakistan’s Mehrgarh civilisation is also the oldest example of a technology still used by NASA? A group of scientists described how they used a powerful synchrotron beam to analyze the tiny amulet on a microscopic level, revealing the mystery of secrets that shrouded its origins. Peering through the corrosion, they discovered that the true structure was not visible to

Paradan is a kingdom of which mention has been found in several sources. As for its location, Western scholars have regarded the evidence as "inconclusive" to date. Scholars of Sasanian history have attempted to determine the kingdom's location since the early 20th century. We think we may have solved the puzzle by putting together various sources and some good old local first-hand knowledge! Written sources: In his inscription at Kaba-i Zardust, the Sasanian emperor Shahpur