Pakistani architecture

Part of a series on the
Culture of Pakistan
History Pakistan Movement
People People List of Pakistanis Pakistani name
Languages Urdu Pakistani English Provincial languages
Traditions
folklore
Cuisine Eastern Mughlai Muhajir Hyderabadi Punjabi Saraiki Lahori Hazari Himachali Haryanvi Sindhi Parsi Western Balochi Hazara Pashtun Northern Chitrali Hunza Kalash Kashmiri Overseas and fusion Balti Pakistani Chinese
Festivals Public holidays
Religion Islam Mosques Shia Sufism Christianity Hinduism Sikhism Bahá'í Ahmadiyya
Art Architecture Sculpture
Literature Comics Poetry
Music and performing arts Theater TV Dramas & serials
Media Radio Television Cinema
Sport
Monuments World Heritage Sites
Symbols Flag Coat of arms National anthem
Pakistan portal
v t e

Pakistani architecture is intertwined with the architecture of the broader Indian subcontinent. The major architectural styles popular in the past were Temple, Indo-Islamic, Mughal and Indo-Saracenic architecture, all of which have many regional varieties. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC,^[1] for the first time in the area which encompasses today's Pakistan an advanced urban culture developed with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day. This was followed by the Gandhara style of Buddhist architecture that borrowed elements from Ancient Greece. These remnants are visible in the Gandhara capital of Taxila.^[2]

Indo-Islamic architecture emerged during the medieval period, which combined Indian and Persianaite elements. The Mughal Empire ruled between the 16th and 18th centuries, and saw the rise of Mughal architecture, most prevalent in Lahore.

During the British Colonial period, European styles such as the Baroque, Gothic and Neoclassical became prevalent. The British, like the Mughals, built elaborate buildings to project their power. The Indo-Saracenic style, a fusion of British and Indo-Islamic elements also developed. After Independence, modern architectural styles like the International style became popular.