Islāmābād

Islāmābād, city and capital of Pakistan, in northern Pakistan. Islāmābād, or “City of Peace”, lies at the foot of the Margalla Hills, on the Potwar Plateau, near Rāwalpindi. A planned city, Islāmābād was built to replace the former Pakistani capital, Karāchi, which was deemed too distant from the nation’s heartland. The city is administered directly by the federal government as the Islāmābād Capital Territory.

In 1959 the site of Islāmābād was chosen to replace Karāchi as the capital of Pakistan. Constantinos A. Doxiadis and other internationally known urban planners and architects were commissioned to design the new city. Among those who contributed to the city’s design were Gio Ponti, Edward Durell Stone, and Louis I. Kahn. Construction began in 1961, and an interim capital was established at Rāwalpindi, located just 14 km (8.7 mi) southwest of Islāmābād. In 1967 Islāmābād was officially made the capital, and work on the city's principal buildings, streets, and facilities was completed by the mid-1970s.

The city is divided into eight largely self-contained zones, each characterized by its predominant use, such as for government, commerce, light industry, or residential areas. These zones include a greenbelt and a national park that contains farms, gardens, and research institutes. In anticipation of expansion, a sizeable area surrounding the city has been designated for future development. The Rawal Dam, which creates a lake on the nearby Kurang River, provides Islāmābād with its water supply.

Modern Islāmābād presents a blend of traditional Islamic and contemporary architectural styles. Notable structures in Islāmābād include the National Assembly Building, designed by Louis I. Kahn, the Grand National Mosque, the Secretariat, and the University of Islāmābād. The city is the site of Quaid-i-Azam University. Population 524,500 (1998).