View of a Local in Lahore, Pakistan
Medical student Raza Noor now lives in Canada, but in this interview he talks about his 
birthplace, Lahore in Pakistan and the web site he has set up in honour of the city.
Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Raza Noor. I am originally from Pakistan, but these days I live in Canada. I am 26 years old and so far I am, what one may call, a professional student. I finished a PhD degree in Neuroscience recently and am now in medical school, studying to become a medical doctor and hopefully train as a neurosurgeon sometime in the near future.
Apart from science and medicine, I have a deep interest in history and particularly the history of my birth city of Lahore. Over the last few years, I have been trying (on a personal level) to gather together as much historical information I can find about the various historical sites and buildings in Lahore.
This interest in Lahore’s history stems from the fact that about two years ago, during one of my visits to Lahore, I had the opportunity to visit some of its sites and bring back some photos to show to my friends and colleagues here in Canada.
Most of them were surprised to see that those kinds of places existed in Pakistan, because most people had only those limited views about Pakistan that are generally portrayed in the media. I wanted to show them the real Pakistan, and what could be better than showing them all the history that lies hidden in those enchanting streets and lively bazaars of Lahore.
For this purpose, I started photographing (not professionally though) the important sites I could find in Lahore and created a web site to showcase those photos along with some informative notes, so that those who have not yet visited Lahore and those who even after having lived all their life in Lahore haven’t really realized how magical this city is, could take some benefit.
You can see the result at Lahore – Digital Photography by Raza Noor
How long did you live in Lahore and do you have plans to move back?
I was born in an area of Lahore known as Garhi Shahu. During the British rule, it was a small village about 3km outside of the old city walls, but by now it has become one of the most densely populated areas in Lahore outside the old city. I lived in Lahore until the age of 12 and then moved to Saudi Arabia from where I came to Canada in 1995 and have been here since then.
As for now, I don’t really have any plans to move back there permanently.
How often do you visit Lahore?
For the last 5 years, I have been visiting Lahore on a yearly basis. All of the trips, except for the most recent one, were during the blistering summer season between May and August. The most recent trip was over this past winter break. This was the first time in about 13 years that I had a taste of Lahori winter, which I had missed so much over the years.
What do you enjoy the most, when you go back to Lahore?
I mainly go back to Lahore to visit my extended family including my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, etc. During these trips I also make time to visit as many sites as possible, so that I can expand my photo gallery of Lahore. I guess, if I had to pick out one thing I enjoy the most when I am there, it would have to be the time I spend with my family.
What did you like most about living in Lahore?
I like the fact that Lahore is still brimming with tradition. That special culture, that zest for life, that hospitality, which have made Lahore famous throughout history are still alive and well in the hearts of countless Lahoris.
Is there anything you did not like about living in Lahore?
It is difficult for me to say, but as with every great city there are always some things that you wish, you could change. Over the years, as the population has exploded it has become increasing difficult to commute to most of the worth seeing places of Lahore. The outlying places, where all the “rich” people live, are clean, well designed, and well managed and the places, where all the “common folk” live, are almost completely neglected by the authorities and by the people living in those communities.
Why should travellers visit Lahore?
I think, I have already given enough reasons for travellers to visit Lahore. It has that unique atmosphere of tradition, culture, and history, all mixed in with great food and shopping that you will find no where else in the world.
If a visitor had time to do or see only one thing in Lahore, what should it be?
I would suggest going to the Lahore Fort area, as many historical sites can be enjoyed in a single visit to this area. The area includes the famous Lahore Fort, the majestic Badshahi Mosque, Tomb of the great Sikh ruler of Punjab, Ranjit Singh and the Tomb of the great “Poet of the East”, Sir Allama Iqbal; all within a stone’s throw of each other.
If a visitor had time for only one meal in Lahore, which dish would you recommend?
This is a tough one, as there are so many wonderful dishes to enjoy in Lahore, but if I had to pick one, I would say the world famous “Phajje ke Paye”. This is a dish that most people will probably not be keen on eating, (I, myself don’t eat it), but those who do like dishes like these will remember the experience for the rest of their lives. Phajja is the name of the restaurant owner and Paye is goat/sheep shin bones with skin cooked in a watery sauce, and they are eaten with naan bread.
2007 is the year of Destination Pakistan. Do you have anywhere in particular, other than Lahore, that you recommend visitors to Pakistan should experience?
I would strongly recommend visiting the Northern areas of Pakistan. The area boasts picturesque landscapes dotted with pristine lakes, dense jungles, towering mountains, and best of all the most hospitable people you will find anywhere on the face of this planet.
Editor’s Note: Pakistan is currently on high alert following recent bomb attacks in Islamabad and Peshawar. If you’re planning a trip to Pakistan in the near future, you should consider Pakistan’s and your own government’s travel advice.
Even if you decide to postpone your trip to Pakistan, I highly recommend paying Lahore – Digital Photography by Raza Noor a visit. He shares some interesting information about Lahore accompanied by some amazing photos!
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Cool Website. I too was born in Lahore and am happy to see someone taking the time to provide a comprehensive look to the city. We do need to have something there to focus on the environment. I think the city planners need to pay a bit more attention to this, it is in line with the focus of the world today, and Lahore certainly could do more in terms of water, trees, emissions, garbage disposal etc.
Thank you Shehryar. Don’t miss out on a visit to Raza’s website.
As for the environment, I think, your comment about Lahore needing to do more is probably true not only for Lahore, but most other cities and towns in the world.
Thanks for stopping by.
sallam i think this is a good work
Glad you enjoyed it, Rizwan.
lahore ia a beautiful city worth seeing,visit, living for long time in the month of march, when spring setelsewhere in the city, corner to corner
life in the city is slow now a days, mughal archetect and gardens are good