Lahore's culture is unique. It is sometimes referred as the cultural capital or the heart of Pakistan, the city was a seat of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh Empire as well as the capital of Punjab in Mahmood Ghaznavi's 11th century empire and in the British Empire
Lahore has played an important role in Pakistani history. It was in this city that Pakistan's independence declaration was made. It was the largest city in the newly formed Pakistan at the time of independence and provided the easiest access to India, with its porous border near the Indian city of Amritsar only 30 miles (48 km) to the east. Large numbers of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims lived closely in Lahore before the independence of Pakistan.
The culture of Lahori People is a manifestation of the lifestyle, festivals, literature, music, language, politics, cuisine and socio-economic conditions of its people. It is characterized by the blending of South Asian, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Western influences.
There are scenic parks that are frequented by joggers, couples, children, students and seniors. Bagh-e-Jinnah (formerly known as Lawrence Gardens) is one such place; it has a large variety of gorgeous plants, trees , long and varied pathways and creative light effects
Landscape of historical gardens such as Shalimar Gardens, Hazuri Bagh and Shahdara Bagh are an evidence of beautiful Mughal art. Fountains are a very important indication of culture of Lahore. Almost every major roundabout (locally called 'chowk') has a combination of a fountain with floral decorations.
Lahore has seen a myriad of melodies, genres, and vocals alongside a variety of musical instruments (both new and old) over the past few decades. This has given rise to the city's diverse sound of music and rapidly evolving culture.
Lahore's Music ranges from the earthy qawalis of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Punjabi ditties of Abrar-ul-Haq, the pop sensations; Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar, the Sufi-Rock of Junoon, the underground Lahori grunge/rock revolution (of a handful of bands) in the early 90s and to the revolutionaries of yesteryear Noor Jehan, Farida Khanum, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and many more.
Lahories are known for their love of food and eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, in recent years Western fast food chains, such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Dunkin Donuts, Nando's and Kentucky Fried Chicken have appeared all over the city
Recently the food streets in the historic locales of Lahore Gawalmandi, Anarkali, and Badshahi Mosque have attracted tourists.
