Istanbul Square Explained

Istanbul Square
Image Place:	The National College of Arts birdhouse in Istanbul Square, Lahore.jpg
Location:	Lahore, Pakistan
Coordinates:	31.5691°N 74.307°W
Place Type:	Roundabout
Open:	Public
Native Name:	Urdu: Istanbul Chowk

Istanbul Square is a roundabout at the intersection of Mall Road and Prof. Ashfaq Ali Khan Road in the heart of Lahore, Pakistan. It is named after Istanbul, Turkey, the sister city of Lahore.

The square was designed by architects from Punjab University, University of Engineering and Technology, the National College of Arts and the Alama Iqbal Campus of the University of the Punjab.^[1] The new design has a tall pole in the middle of the square with hundreds of small birdhouses on it. Mainly pigeons use these houses and the city folk come to feed these pigeons.^{[2] [3]} The square was already called Istanbul Chowk; however it had no special design and only had a boat fixed to it.^[4]

References

1. Web site: Beautified Istanbul Chowk reflects ties with Turkey . 15 November 2015 . dawn.com . . 20 April 2018.
2. News: Latif . Aamir . 7 September 2017 . Lahore's Istanbul Chowk spices up city's cultural life . . 20 April 2018 .
3. News: 10 September 2017 . Istanbul Square: Lahores Newest Landmark fascinates people . The Express Tribune . 20 April 2018 .
4. Web site: Beautified Istanbul Chowk reflects ties with Turkey . 15 November 2015 . dawn.com . . 20 April 2018 . “Before this project, a boat was fixed on this intersection reflecting no message or artwork that could please passersby despite the fact that its name was Istanbul Chowk. After undertaking the assignment, we involved experts from various aforementioned institutions, groups who presented various models of the intersection,” Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Sumbal told Dawn after inaugurating the site..