Lahore (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced ) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and is the second most densely populated city in Pakistan. It is also known as the Gardens of the Mughals or City of Gardens, because of the significant rich heritage of the Mughal Empire. In popular culture, Lahore is known as the Heart of Pakistan. It is located near Ravi River and Wagah close to the Pakistan-India border.
As evidence of Lahore's rich history, much of the Mughal and colonial architecture has been preserved in all its splendour. Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens and the mausoleums of Jehangir and Nur Jehan are very popular tourist spots in the city. Various colonial buildings originally built by the British, such as the Lahore High Court, General Post Office (GPO) and many of the older universities, still retain their Mughal-Gothic style.
Punjabi is the native language of the province, and is the most widely-spoken language in Lahore and rural areas. Urdu and English, however, are becoming more popular with younger generations since they are officially supported, whereas Punjabi has no official patronage. Many people of Lahore who speak Punjabi are known as Lahori Punjabi due to their use of a mixture of Punjabi and colloquial Urdu. According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was nearly 7 million. Mid-2006 government estimates now put the population at approximately 10 million. This makes Lahore the second largest city in Pakistan (after Karachi), the fifth largest city in South Asia and 23rd largest city in the world.