Multan is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. It has a population of over 3.8 million (according to 1998 census), making it the sixth largest city of Pakistan. It is built just east of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic center of the country and about 966 km from Karachi.
The city of Multan is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact center of Pakistan. The very next major adjoining city is Sahiwal. The area around the city is a flat plain and is ideal for agriculture. There are many canals that cut across the Multan District that provide water from nearby rivers. It is extremely hot in the summer. Multan is has several citrus and mango farms. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
District Multan has an extreme climate. The extreme temperature of Multan in summer is 49ºC whereas 1ºC in winter. The average rainfall is 127 mm. The land of the district is plain and very fertile. However, the portions of tehsils Multan and Shujabad close to the river Chenab are flooded during monsoons season.
Multan Division lies between north latitude 29'-22' and 30'-45 and east longitude 71'-4' and 72'-4'55. It is located in a bend created by five confluent rivers. The Sutlej separates it from Bahawalpur District and the Chenab from Muzaffar Garh district. District Multan is spread over an area of 3,721 square Kilometers comprising of following four tehsils.
1. Multan Cantonment
2. Multan Sadar
3. Shujabad
4. Jalalpur Pirwala
The majority of Multan's residents speak a language called Siraiki. The overwhelming majority of the people Multan has traditionally been a melting pot of several regional as well as distinct ethnic groups due to it location near four of Pakistan's main provinces and it historical significance as a centre of learning, culture. As a result, Multan of today consists of Baloch, Pashtun, Panjabi, Seraiki (a transition group between Panjabi and Sindhi), Afghan, Persian and mohajir's who recently arrived at the time of independence in 1947.
Multan is also rich in literature, there are many poets and other prominent personalities who are known country wide. The city is notable for being the birthplace of the founder of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Abdali who was born in the village of Kiri Shah Husain Khan where members of his tribe still live. In Urdu poetry Asad Multani, Dr. Qateel Jaffri, Haider Gardezi, Aasi Karnali, Aslam Ansari, Arsh Siddiqi, Sahir Bukhari (Known as Sharif Bukhari), Iqbal Arshad, Arshad Multani, Hazeen Sidiqi, Anwar Jamal, Razi-ud-Din Razi, Ghazala Khakwani, Kashif Baloch, Shaakir Hussain Shaakir and Riffat Abbass are popular poets of the city. Whereas Hafeez Khan is leading short story writer, playwright,critic,research schollar and columnist.While Mazhar Kaleem the undisputed master of spy novels in Urdu literature also hails from Multan. Multan is also famous for its sufis. It is still the home town of Sheikh Amin, a present day famous Sufi.
Geography
The city of Multan is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact center of Pakistan. The very next major adjoining city is Sahiwal. The area around the city is a flat plain and is ideal for agriculture. There are many canals that cut across the Multan District that provide water from nearby rivers. It is extremely hot in the summer. Multan is has several citrus and mango farms. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Climate
District Multan has an extreme climate. The extreme temperature of Multan in summer is 49ºC whereas 1ºC in winter. The average rainfall is 127 mm. The land of the district is plain and very fertile. However, the portions of tehsils Multan and Shujabad close to the river Chenab are flooded during monsoons season.
Location
Multan Division lies between north latitude 29'-22' and 30'-45 and east longitude 71'-4' and 72'-4'55. It is located in a bend created by five confluent rivers. The Sutlej separates it from Bahawalpur District and the Chenab from Muzaffar Garh district. District Multan is spread over an area of 3,721 square Kilometers comprising of following four tehsils.
1. Multan Cantonment
2. Multan Sadar
3. Shujabad
4. Jalalpur Pirwala
Demographics
The majority of Multan's residents speak a language called Siraiki. The overwhelming majority of the people Multan has traditionally been a melting pot of several regional as well as distinct ethnic groups due to it location near four of Pakistan's main provinces and it historical significance as a centre of learning, culture. As a result, Multan of today consists of Baloch, Pashtun, Panjabi, Seraiki (a transition group between Panjabi and Sindhi), Afghan, Persian and mohajir's who recently arrived at the time of independence in 1947.
Multan is also rich in literature, there are many poets and other prominent personalities who are known country wide. The city is notable for being the birthplace of the founder of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Abdali who was born in the village of Kiri Shah Husain Khan where members of his tribe still live. In Urdu poetry Asad Multani, Dr. Qateel Jaffri, Haider Gardezi, Aasi Karnali, Aslam Ansari, Arsh Siddiqi, Sahir Bukhari (Known as Sharif Bukhari), Iqbal Arshad, Arshad Multani, Hazeen Sidiqi, Anwar Jamal, Razi-ud-Din Razi, Ghazala Khakwani, Kashif Baloch, Shaakir Hussain Shaakir and Riffat Abbass are popular poets of the city. Whereas Hafeez Khan is leading short story writer, playwright,critic,research schollar and columnist.While Mazhar Kaleem the undisputed master of spy novels in Urdu literature also hails from Multan. Multan is also famous for its sufis. It is still the home town of Sheikh Amin, a present day famous Sufi.
