10 Highest Buildings In Pakistan

I)Bahria Icon Tower

Bahria Icon Tower is a recently on-hold skyscraper complex in the seaside municipality
of Clifton in Karachi, Pakistan. The complex includes a 62-storey tower, which at 300 metres
(980 ft), is the tallest building in Pakistan and among the tallest buildings in South Asia. The complex
also includes an adjacent 42-storey building and is owned by the Bahria Town Group
Bahria Town Icon is a 62-storey 272.8 metres (895 ft) in the skyscraper complex, Bahria Icon Tower
Bahria Hotel Tower is 42-storey 200 metres (660 ft) skyscraper in the skyscraper complex, Bahria Icon
Tower.
Mall of Karachi is a mall located in Bahria Hotel Tower and Bahria Town Icon, it is spread across eight
floors

The complex is based on a four acre plot in the up-scale Clifton area, and is immediately
adjacent to the Bagh Ibne Qasim park, and shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi - an 8th-century
mystic who is widely regarded as the patron saint of Karachi.
History
Construction began in 2009 During its construction, excavations for the foundations caused
inconvenience for traffic flow.] It was topped out in October 2017. In November 2018, a small
fire broke out at the site where a marriage hall and cinema were being installed. Fireworks were
shown on its completion. Construction has been slowed and marred by allegations of
corruption against the owner of Bahria Group, Malik Riaz.
Details
The main building consists of 10 floors of serviced corporate offices and 40 floors of serviced
apartments, Pakistan's highest located terraced restaurant, a double-decker high speed elevator,
and a shopping mall. The building will be serviced by 16 high-speed elevators. It will have a
carpark with 1,700 spaces, and total area of 2,230,500 m2 (24,008,902 ft²).
It has 62 floors above ground, and 7 below ground It is made of reinforced concrete with a
glass facade. Steel was procured by Cellpor, and produced in conjunction with
the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal conglomerate, It is expected to complete by March 2023
Honors and awards
The design won architectural design awards for efficient use of space and maximization of
utility, including

• Highly commended high-rise architecture, International Property Award winners from

Asia Pacific 2012

Gallery

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Bahria Icon Tower

‫بحریہ آئکون ٹاور‬

Bahria Icon in 2021

2
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Status Completed

Location Bahria Town Icon tower, #5, Block 4, Shahrah-e-

Firdousi, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan

Coordinates 24.8117°N 67.0271°E

Construction started 2009

Topped-out 2017

Completed March 2023

Cost USD 162.5 million[4]

Owner Bahria Town

Height

Tip 272.8 metres (895 ft)[2][3]

Roof 300 metres (980 ft)[1]

Technical details

Floor count 62 + 7 below ground

Floor area 2,230,500 m2 (24,009,000 sq ft)

Lifts/elevators 16

Design and construction

Architect(s) Arshad Shahid Abdullah (Pvt.) Ltd.

Developer Bahria Town

Structural engineer BEG Associates, ESS.I.AAR.

Main contractor Habib Rafiq (Pvt.) Ltd.

Other information

Parking 1,700 spaces

Website

bticon.com

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II)Dolmen City
Dolmen City (‫ )ڈولمین سٹی‬is a mixed-use complex, situated on the waterfront of Clifton, in Karachi,
Pakistan. It is made up of four towers: Tower A, Tower B, Harbour Front, and Executive Tower. At the
base of the complex is the Dolmen Mall, a three-level shopping mall built in 2011 with an area of
600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2), and 130 stores - including several international brands. The total area of the
entire Dolmen City complex is 3,441,340 sq ft (319,711 m2).

Dolmen City's site was originally the site of a casino, which was closed in 1978 during the
dictatorship of General Zia-ul-Haq before it was formally opened, The site was purchased for
100 million rupees, but was valued at 50 billion rupees by 2019. The complex was owned by
the International Complex Project - a venture which was 20%-owned by the Arif Habib Group,
and 80% by the Dolmen Group, Since June 2015, the companies have listed some of their
shares as part of the Dolmen City REIT on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
Construction of the Dolmen City complex began in 2005, and was completed in phases. The
site's branch of Dolmen Mall was completed in 2011, while the Harbour Front Tower and
Executive Towers were completed in 2019. Towers A and B were topped out in 2019, but have
not yet been inaugurated.
Office towers
Towers A and B are 150 m (490 ft) in height, 40 floors each, and are made of concrete. They
were designed by architect Arshad Shahid Abdulla. Both house corporate offices, while Tower
B will also host a hotel on its ten top floors.
Executive Tower is a 17-floor corporate office building, and is home to co-working space
company Regus. Harbour Front is an office building with 19 floors, and houses some
multinational corporations such as Mitsubishi and Procter & Gamble. The occupancy rate in
Harbour Front is 92% as of Q1 2020.
Dolmen Mall
Main article: Dolmen Malls
Dolmen Mall is a 3-level shopping mall built in 2011 with an area of 600,000 sq ft (56,000 m2),
of which 547,924 sq ft (50,903.8 m2) are leasable. It has 130 stores, including several
international brands. There are several Pakistani chains as well, including Khaadi & Converse.
The occupancy rate of the mall is 98.3% as of Q1 2020.
Dolmen City REIT
The occupancy rate for Dolmen Mall stood at 98.3 percent in 2020, while those of the Harbour
Front Building stood at 92 percent in 2020.
Gallery

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 Dolmen seen from the sea

Dolmen Mall at Dolmen City

Dolmen City

‫ڈونملیٹس‬

Dolmen City Towers (Tower B obscured)

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Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Type Shopping mall, corporate offices

Location Karachi, Pakistan

Address Marine Promenade - Sea View Road

Clifton, Karachi

Coordinates 24°48′07.9″N 67°01′47.7″E

Construction started 2005

Completed Dolmen Mall - 2011

Harbour Front - 2019

Towers A and B - 2020

Owner Dolmen Group

Height

Roof 150 m (490 ft) (Towers A and B)

Technical details

Floor count 40 (Tower A)

40 (Tower B)
19 (Harbour Front)

17 (Executive Tower)

Floor area 3,441,340 sq ft (319,711 m2)

Design and construction

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 Architect(s) Arshad Shahid Abdulla Pvt. Ltd.

III)Lucky One Mall

Lucky One Mall is a shopping mall located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, which is owned by Yunus
Brothers Group. It is the largest shopping mall in Pakistan, with an area of about 3.4 million square
feet. It is also the second largest mall in South Asia, and the 31st largest mall in the world. It is home to
over 200 stores and different services with a large indoor parking space for 1200 cars.

It also includes an atrium, brand outlets, food court, and areas for musical concerts and fashion
shows. LuckyOne mall is also the only mall in Pakistan that has an in mall open air food
street.[citation needed] The mall has a combination of national and international clothing brands,
and a selection of international fast food restaurants.
The mall also featured the indoor theme park Onederland, which consists of over 200
attractions across 2 levels.

The mall recorded over 100,000 visitors on its opening day. It has conducted different launches
for the biggest fashion brands in Pakistan and aims to revolutionize the shopping experience in
Pakistan. The outdoor food street has many fine dining restaurants.

It also includes Carrefour, a large renowned hyper market offering a large variety of different
grocery, household & electronic items. There are many other famous brands like Hush Puppies,
Travel Mate, Services Shoes, Sputnik Footwear, Pakistan's Largest Home & office furniture
store Interwood Mobel, Pakistan's oldest shoes brand Bata Corporation, Gree Electric & many
more.

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Lucky One Towers

‫لکی ون‬

General information

Status Completed

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 Type Mixed-use

Location FB Area Karachi

Construction started 2010

Completed 2017

Opening 6 May 2017

Cost Rs. 11 billion (US$38 million)

Height

Architectural 130 m (427 ft)

Technical details

Floor count 28

Floor area 590,000 m2 (6,350,700 sq ft)

Design and construction

Architect(s) Arcop (Pvt.) Ltd.

Developer Lucky Group

Structural engineer Mushtaq & Bilal Consulting Engineers

Eleken Associates
Y.H. Associates

Website

www.luckyone.com.pk

IV)Ocean Mall
Ocean Mall, is a 120-metre-tall (393 ft) skyscraper in the Clifton locality of Karachi, Pakistan. It was
built between 2009 and 2014, and contains a shopping mall and office spaces.

Founded as an international hotel project for Sofitel, but was later abandoned due to law and
order situation in the city. Later, it was redesigned into a shopping mall and was named The
Mall.
Structural information
Ocean Tower is a 120-metre-high (393 ft) skyscraper in Karachi. It contains 28 storeys above
ground, and 5 below ground. The project has its own 5-megawatt powerhouse, as compared
with the 2 MW- and 1.2 MW-capacity powerhouses of MCB Tower and the Arif Habib
Building respectively, and it does not rely on K-Electric for power. The tower uses state-of-
the-art technology for monitoring heat and smoke. It has nine passenger lifts and five cargo
lifts.
Surface Area of the project is 850,000 sq.ft. Construction cost is Rs. 5 billion. The Project
Architect is arcop Private Limited.

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Child incident
On March 22, 2022 a three-year-old boy was injured after being stuck in an escalator of ocean
mall in Clifton. According to the mother of the injured child, this incident happened when they
were going from the second floor to the third floor of Ocean Mall. She further added that they
kept calling the administration, but no one came to help, and even the buttons of the escalator
were non-operational, and there were no medical arrangements. As a result of the incident, a
protest was staged outside the Mall near Teen Talwar in the upscale Clifton neighborhood and
there was severe public outrage over the incident on social media with a trend called
#BanOceanMall.

Ocean Mall

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Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Type Shopping mall, corporate offices

Location Karachi, Pakistan

Coordinates 24°49′26″N 67°02′08″E

Construction started 2007

Cost PKR 7 billion

Height

Roof 120 m (390 ft)

Technical details

Floor count 30

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 Design and construction

Architect(s) Arcop Associates

Structural engineer Mushtaq & Bilal Consulting Engineers

V)MCB Tower
MCB Tower situated in Karachi, Pakistan was the headquarters of MCB Bank Limited. It is the
fifteenth tallest building in Pakistan. It is about 116 m (381 ft) tall and contains 29 floors and 3 basement
floors.
Construction began in 2000 and was completed in 2005. The building was designed by Arshad Shah
Abdullah. It was the tallest building in the country until 2012

MCB Tower

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 Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Type Bank

Location Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Completed 2005

Height

Roof 116 m (381 ft)

Technical details

Floor count 29

Lifts/elevators 6

Website

VI)Arfa Software Technology Park

Arfa Software Technology Park (previously known as Software Technology Park) is
a skyscraper building and information technology park in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, built in 2009. It is
home to the Information Technology University and PITB. The main building consists of 17 floors and
is 106 meters tall. It is currently the tallest building in Lahore.
On 15 January 2012, Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif announced a name change of
Software Technology Park to Arfa Software Technology Park after the youngest Microsoft Certified
Professional Arfa Karim, who died at the age of 16.

Arfa Software Technology Park

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Arfa Software Technology Park

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Alternative names Software Technology Park

General information

Status Completed

Address 346-B, Ferozepur Road

Town or city Lahore

Country Pakistan

Coordinates 31.475357°N 74.343064°E

Groundbreaking 3 July 2006

Inaugurated 9 February 2012

Owner Punjab Information Technology Board

Height 106m (348ft)

Technical details

Floor count 17

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VII)Habib Bank Plaza
Habib Bank Plaza (Urdu: ‫)حبیب بینک پالزا‬, also known as HBL Plaza, located on I. I.
Chundrigar Road in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, is the head office of Habib Bank Limited. It was
once the tallest building in Asia, a title that hasn't been held by any other building in South
Asia, and was one of only three to hold the title outside of East and Southeast Asia, while still
under construction between 1963 and 1968. It was also the tallest building in South Asia until
1972, being surpassed by the Express Towers. It remained the tallest building in Pakistan for
four decades until the 29-floor and 116m tall MCB Tower was built.
HBL Plaza was inaugurated to mark the 25th anniversary of the bank, and started its operations
on 4 September 1971.[10][11] The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has regularly used the building over
the years to call the meeting for moon sighting. As of 2021, it housed more than 1,770
employees.

Habib Bank Plaza

‫حبیب بینک پالزہ‬

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Habib Bank Plaza

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Type Bank

Location Karachi, Pakistan

Address I. I. Chundrigar Road,

Karachi-75650

Country Pakistan

Construction started 1963

Construction stopped 1969

Completed 1971 [1]

Owner Habib Bank Ltd (49%), AKFED (51%)

Height

Roof 101 m (331 ft)[2]

Technical details

Floor count 22[3]

Design and construction

Architect(s) Leo A. Daly

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VIII)Centaurus
The Centaurus is a mixed use real estate development in the city of Islamabad, Pakistan. The project
includes a 36-floor hotel, three 23-floor residential and office towers and a four-floor shopping mall.

Construction
Designed by British architectural firm WS Atkins, it consists of a four-story shopping mall, a five-star hotel,
two residential towers, a corporate tower, three skyscrapers containing corporate offices, residential
apartments, and a hotel. Centaurus Mövenpick Hotel is under construction and was expected to open in the
first quarter of 2018.

The estimated cost for building the complex was US$850 million. The Centaurus Mall has four levels and
comprises more than 250 shops.

Entertainmet
The Centaurus Mall offers entertainment in the form of a play area for children, known as "Fun City",and
a cineplex, which shows recently-released Lollywood and Hollywood movies.

Food court
The food court offers several local as well as international fast food chains.

Entry fee controversy

In what it called a move to avoid ‘over-crowding’, Centaurus Mall in a public notice said visitors will have
to buy a coupon to enter the mall, which is adjustable against shopping at the mall on the same day. The
public notice listed 23 types of people who will not have to purchase the entry coupons. Those exempted
include all women and children under 12, senior citizens, lawmakers and executives, diplomats and
foreigners, journalists, and lawyers, members of country clubs, registered engineers, doctors, and teachers.
Further, the notice said, “famous players of hockey, cricket, football and golf” and “celebrities” do not have
to purchase the entry coupon.

October 2022 fire

The shopping center at the Centaurus Mall caught fire on October 9, 2022. The Capital Development
Authority claimed the fire to be under control after two hours of response. The shopping center and nearby
residential structures were closed for an audit to be made on their structural integrity.

The fire broke out in the Monal restaurant and was reported around 4 pm. The efforts of firefighters
extinguished the fire preventing extensive damage to the interior. Navy and Air Force personnel also took
part in cooling the building.

The Cenťaurus

‫سینٹورس‬

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The Centaurus

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

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 Status Completed

• Hotel
Type
• mall

• residential

• corporate

Address One Jinnah Avenue, Sector F-8, Islamabad-44220, Pakistan

Coordinates 33.7077°N 73.0499°E

Current tenants Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts

Construction started 2006

Completed 2015

Opening 17 February 2013

Cost PKR 15 billion

Owner Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and Sardar Yasir Ilyas

Technical details

Floor count 26

Design and construction

Architect(s) Atkins

Developer Pak Gulf Construction, Al Mahad Group of Companies (Saudi Arabia) and Sardar

Builders

Other information

Number of rooms 500

Public transit access PIMS Metrobus Station

IX)Minar-e-Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakistan (Urdu: ‫مینار پاکستان‬, ِ literally "Tower of Pakistan") is a tower located
in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The tower was built between 1960 and 1968 on the site where the All-India
Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution (which was later called the Pakistan Resolution) on 23 March
1940 - the first official call for a separate and independent homeland for the Muslims of British India, as
espoused by the two-nation theory. The resolution eventually helped lead to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

The tower is located in the middle of an urban park, called the Greater Iqbal Park. This monument was made
by the famous architect Husnain Sulehri and his assistant Ali Sarwar Khokhar of Shadewal. Bricks used in

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Minar e Pakistan was bought from Bhatti bricks company Sheikhpura. Labours was from Asad Parihar
labour company. Abdur Rehman Niazi was the first person to visit this monument.

Design
The tower reflects a blend of Mughal/Islamic and modern architecture.

The tower was designed and supervised by, Nasreddin Murat-Khan, a Russian-born
Pakistani architect and civil engineer, The minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can access the
top by climbing up the stairs or by means of an elevator.

The tower base is shaped like a flower. The area surrounding the monument is covered with parks and
flowers. The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower
of Pakistan".

Structure

The monument sits atop a plinth.

The base is about 8 metres above the ground. The tower rises about 62 metres on the base, and the total
height of the Minar is about 70 metres above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9
metres high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and
faces Badshahi Mosque. The base consists of four platforms. To symbolise the humble beginning of the
struggle for freedom, the first platform is built with uncut stones from Taxila, the second platform is made
of hammer-dressed stones, and the third platform is made of chiselled stones. Polished white marble used
for the fourth and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.[7][8] The structure uses the
imagery of crescents and stars, signs that symbolize the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in the National
Flag.

Mr. Mukhtar Masood, a prolific writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the
members of the Building Committee for the tower. Services Engineer Mian Abdul Ghani Mughal went on
to build many other landmarks of Pakistan, including Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, City Hospital Gujranwala,
Chand da Qila By-Pass Gujranwala, Lords Hotel, and University of Punjab Campus Gujranwala.

Inscriptions
At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble commemorative plaques. The
inscriptions include the text of the Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as the Delhi
Resolution's text, which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 names of
Allah are inscribed in Arabic calligraphy. Other important inscriptions included on the monument are
the National Anthem of Pakistan in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali
Jinnah in Urdu, Bengali and English; and a few couplets written by Allama Iqbal.

Original Foundation Stone Of Minar-e-Pakistan

Construction
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The foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1960. Construction took eight years, and was completed on 21
October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs 7,058,000. The money was collected by imposing an additional tax
on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of Akhter Husain, governor of West Pakistan.

Significance
Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the national emblem of Pakistan,[10] and an expression of post-
colonial national identity.

Notable visits and events

On February 21, 1999, Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to visit Minar-e-
Pakistan (previous Indian state visits to Pakistan had not included a visit to Lahore). Vajpayee's visit was
compared to Nixon's visit to China in terms of significance.

Minar-e-Pakistan has served as the location for a number of rallies. The rallies have often caused damage to
the surrounding flora, according to the Parks and Horticulture Authority. In 2014, the Punjab government
considered banning any political or non-political large gatherings.

Minar-e-Pakistan
‫پاکستان‬ ‫مینار‬
ِ

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Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

General information

Status National Tower of kaftan

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 Type Public monument

Location Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Address Greater Iqbal Park, Circular Road, Lahore

Coordinates 31.5925°N 74.3095°E

Construction started 23 March 1960

Completed 21 October 1968

Height

Roof 70 metres (230 ft)

Design and construction

Architect(s) Nasreddin Murat-Khan

Structural engineer A Rehman Niazi

Services engineer Mian Abdul Ghani Mughal

Main contractor Mian Abdul khaliq company

X)Faisal Mosque
The Faisal Mosque (Urdu: ‫فیصل مسجد‬, romanized: faisal masjid) is the national mosque of Pakistan, located
in the capital city, Islamabad.[1][2] It is the fifth-largest mosque in the world, the largest mosque outside the
Middle East, and the largest within South Asia, located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad. It is
named after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. The mosque features a contemporary design consisting of
eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by the design of a typical Bedouin tent.

A major tourist attraction in Pakistan, the mosque is a contemporary and influential piece of Islamic
architecture.

Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after a $28 million grant from Saudi King Faisal, whose name
the mosque bears. The unconventional design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an
international competition. Without a typical dome, the mosque is shaped like a Bedouin tent, surrounded by

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four 260 feet (79 m) tall minarets. The design features eight-sided shell shaped sloping roofs forming a
triangular worship hall which can hold 10,000 worshippers.

Combined the structure covers an area of 33 acres (130,000 m2; 1,400,000 sq ft), the mosque dominates the
landscape of Islamabad.] It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end
of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is located on an
elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the national park. Faisal Mosque was the largest
mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993 when it was overtaken by the mosques in Saudi Arabia. Faisal
Mosque is now the sixth largest mosque in the world in terms of capacity.

History
The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz supported the initiative of the
Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan. In 1969,
an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. The
winning design was that of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay. Forty-six acres of land were assigned for the
project and the execution was assigned to Pakistani engineers and workers. Construction of the mosque
began in 1976 by National Construction Limited of Pakistan, led by Azim Khan and was funded by the
government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120
million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and
the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. King Faisal bin Abdulaziz's
successor King Khalid laid the foundation stone for the mosque in October 1976] and signed the construction
agreement in 1978. Basic information about the mosque can be found written on the foundation stone. On
18 June 1988, the first prayer was held, although the mosque was completed in 1986. The mosque grounds
along with being a building for prayer also used to house the International Islamic University some years
ago but has since relocated to a new campus in 2000. Some traditional and conservative Muslims criticized
the design at first for its unconventional design and lack of a traditional dome structure.

The Faisal Mosque can accommodate about 300,000 worshippers. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are
79 m (259 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10×10 meters in circumference. The
main areas have the capacity to hold up to 74000 people in the main areas including the inner hall, and the
courtyards. The grounds around the mosque have the capacity to contain up to 200,000 people.

Architecture
I tried to capture the spirit, proportion, and geometry of Kaaba in a purely abstract manner. Imagine the apex
of each of the four minarets as a scaled explosion of four highest corners of Kaaba – thus an unseen Kaaba
form is bounded by the minarets at the four corners in a proportion of height to base. Shah Faisal Mosque is
akin to the Holy Kaaba in the designer's imaginative eyes. Now, if you join the apex of each minaret to the
base of the minaret diagonally opposite to it correspondingly, a four-sided pyramid shall be bound by these
lines at the base side within that invisible cube. That lower level pyramid is treated as a solid body while
four minarets with their apex complete the imaginary cube of Kaaba.

— Vedat Dalokay, "Dalokay further explaining the thinking behind the design of the Masjid to students of a
design school"
Instead of using traditional domes, Vedat Dalokay designed an eight-sided main hall that looked like an
Arab's Bedouin desert tent. Additionally, he added four minarets on all four corners of the main hall, which
are of 80 m (260 ft) high, the tallest minarets in South Asia. The main structure of the building is the main
prayer hall, which is supported by four concrete girders. The four unusual minarets are inspired by Turkish
architecture. Vedat Dalokay also believed that the design of the Masjid represents Kaaba in
an abstract manner. Entrance is from the east, where the prayer hall is fronted by a courtyard with porticoes.
The International Islamic University was housed under the main courtyard but now has relocated to a new
campus. The mosque still houses a library, lecture hall, museum, and cafe. The interior of the main tent-
shaped hall is covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani

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artist Sadequain, and a Turkish-style chandelier. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall and has
the Kalimah written in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern.

The Qibla Wall is covered with blue and white calligraphic tiles designed by a Turkish artist Mengu Ertel.
The interior of the mosque uses Turkish and Pakistani inspired decorations. The mosque takes an unusual
route to its design by combining contemporary and classic Islamic architecture. The unique design takes
most of its elements from nomadic Bedouin tent, but it still manages to keep in contact with Islamic
architecture by using Ottoman style minarets and square shape form the Kaab

Topography
Located at the foot of the Margalla Hills, the location plays a significant role in Faisal Mosque. The Mosque
is visible from miles away and sits on a higher surface compared to the main city. The mosque faces the city
and is backed by green mountain ranges, giving it a scenic view. One of the main highways of Islamabad,
Faisal Avenue leads straight to the Mosque showing the importance of the landmark. The shining white color
in comparison to the dark green background makes the mosque stand out and reveal its significance to the
city of Islamabad.

References in literature
The Faisal Mosque is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khalid Hosseini, It is frequently referenced
in the work of Michael Muhammad Knight, who came to the mosque to study Islam as a teenager.

Gallery

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Faisal Mosque

‫فیصل مسجد‬

Religion

Affiliation Islam

Location

Location Islamabad

Municipality Capital Development Authority

Country Pakistan

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Shown within Islamabad Capital Territory

Administration International Islamic University, Islamabad

Geographic coordinates 33.729944°N 73.038436°E

Architecture

Architect(s) Vedat Dalokay

Type Mosque

Style Modern Islamic

Date established 1986

Construction cost US$120 million

Specifications

Capacity 300,000 worshippers

Minaret(s) 4

Minaret height 90 m (300 ft)

Site area 130,000 m2; 1,400,000 sq ft

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