The culture of Pakistan, has geatly been influenced before Pakistan became independent from British India in 1947. The rich and unique cultural heritage that has actively been preserved throughout history. Many cultural practices and monuments have been inherited from the rule of many foreign invaders of the region that have added their cultural traditions to the region. One of the most influenced cultures being the Mughals. However, there is one type of culture stems from the mainstream South Asian Muslim culture, which is also found in India and Bangladesh.Pakistan has a very rich cultural and traditional background going back to Indus Valley Civilization, 2800 BC–1800 BC. The region of Pakistan has been invaded in the past, occupied and settled by many different people, including Dravidians, Aryans, Greeks, White Huns, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and various Eurasian groups. There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. The basic origin of Pakistanis however comes from the civilizations of North India and eastern Afghanistan, with significant influences from Persia, Turkestan and Hellenistic Greece.
Frere Hall - a beautiful structure built during the British Raj
Diwan-e-Khas: The hall of special audience with the emperor
Bahauddin ZakariyaThe pleasures of Pakistan are ancient: Buddhist monuments, Hindu temples, Palaces and Monuments built by Emperors, tombs, pleasure grounds and Anglo-Mogul mansions - some in a state of dereliction which makes their former grandeur more emphatic. Sculpture is dominated by Graeco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork.
Pakistani society is largely multilingual and multicultural. As a result, cultures differ so much that they may be more alien to each other than to foreign ones. However over 50 years of integration, a distinctive "Pakistani" Culture has sprung up especially in the urban areas.Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.
The past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Abbottabad and Multan. The North-western part of Pakistan, bordering with Afghanistan, is highly conservative and dominated by regional tribal customs dating back hundreds of years.
