Indian Sikh devotees watch fireworks erupt over the illuminated world-famous Golden Temple in Amritsar to celebrate the anniversary of Guru Ram Das's birth. Ram Das, the fourth of Sikkism's Ten Gurus, was born in Lahore in 1574 and is credited as establishing the city of Amritsar.
A young reveler is illuminated by decorations marking the celebration Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birth of the Prophet.
Pakistani laborers balance baskets of bananas at a fruit market.
The roofs of colorful buses provide extra seating for Pakistani Muslims on their return from three-day religious gathering in neighboring Raiwind. Thousands of Muslims from Pakistan and abroad attend the religious gathering known as Tableeghi Ijtama.
A Pakistani Muslim woman clasps her hennaed hands together in prayer during Eid prayers at the Badshahi Mosque. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, honors Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael on the order of God, who, according to tradition, then provided a lamb in the boy's place.
A view of the Shahi Hamam's domed inside. The royal bath was built nearly 400 years ago and is the last surviving structure of its kind from the Mughal era.
Talk about tradition. Pakistani devotees light candles at a shrine during 967th festival of Hazrat Ali Bin Usman. The holiday is celebrated for three days and is popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh.
Children play on the scaffolding of the Wazir Khan Mosque in the walled city of Old Lahore, where 13 ancient gates are still used to gain entrance. The mosque was built in 1634 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
Children are engrossed in a game of cricket under ornate archways. The ramparts of the walled city were destroyed and replaced with gardens shortly after the British annexed Punjab in 1849.
Flowers line the entrance to Jahangir's Tomb Garden. Similar gardens can be found across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The entrance to Jahangir's Tomb Garden basks in early sun. Lahore's Mughal Gardens were built in an Islamic style of architecture and influenced by gardens throughout South Asia by the Mughal empire's emperors, who had a fondness for beautiful sceneries.
Colorful streamers hang in a mosque in honor of the Eid Milad-un-Nabi festival in Lahore. The holiday marks the Prophet Mohammed's birthday
Sometimes a city's name possesses such strong mysticism that adjectives won't suffice. Such is the case with Lahore, Pakistan's ancient city of romantic gardens and majestic architecture standing since the days of emperors. Here, birds soar above the Wazir Khan Mosque inside the walled city of Old Lahore, which is still encircled by 13 ancient gates. Keep clicking for more breathtaking shots from Pakistan's historic metropolis.
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