IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 694 with Model Answer

Describe an interesting place in your home town

: You should say

what it is
where it is
what it is famous for
and explain why this place is interesting in your opinion

: Model Answer

Pakistan is a place of historical importance in the south Asian subcontinent and contains several World Heritage Sites. The Lahore Fort is one of them and I’ve been there for numerous times for its attractive features

The Lahore Fort is a citadel and locally this is known as the Shahi Qila. The fort is the example of rich Mughal architecture. The citadel is located in the Iqbal Park in Pakistan. The history and origin of the park are not known precisely but so far it is revealed that the fort was made during the Mughal Empire. Emperor Akbar had built the Fort in the 15th century. The fort was well maintained by the Mughals until their fall. After the downfall of Mughal Empire, the fort was assigned to the Sikh and subsequently the British rulers ruled on it. The fort has two entrances and one of them is known as Alamgiri gate which was made by Emperor Aurangzeb. The Alamgiri gate is faced to a mosque better known as the Badshahi mosque. The first gate was made by Emperor Akbar and was named as Maseeti. The gate is facing the city of Lahore. Now, the fort is using the Alamgiri gate by closing the Maseeti gate permanently

The Lahore Fort is located at the Iqbal Park in Pakistan. Iqbal Park is the largest urban park in Pakistan. Both the park and the fort are located in the walled city of Lahore. To be more transparent about the issue, the Lahore Fort is located adjacent to my residence in Lahore. I live with my parents in the walled city of Lahore in Pakistan and the Lahore Fort is visible from our balcony. Geographically, the Shahi Qila is situated in the north-west part of Lahore. The fort is accessible from anywhere in the city and thus a good number of visitors come to visit the historical place. Strategically, the location was important to dominate some of the strongholds in Multan, Kashmir and Kabul and thus the solid brick made fort has been built in this region

The Lahore Fort is famous for several reasons and the most important cause is its architecture. The fort is dominated by the Persian gardens and the buildings inside are still own the striking look. The entire fort is divided into separate sections, spacious bedrooms, concealed residential parts, entrance etc. Besides, some small gardens are also notable and have increased the beauty of the fort. Diwan –I – Aam is one of the halls, which was made by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1628, to meet with the common people of the locality and the design is similar to that one of Agra Fort. The Sheesh Mahal is made with glasses and the Mahal was built by Mirza Ghiyas Begh. The Mahal contains a large hall and was considered as the harem of the fort. The fort has experienced some modifications during the British period to meet the needs of the British army

To me, the Lahore Fort is interesting for several reasons. I have visited the fort for several times and each of the times I was amazed at the designs of the Mughal artists who built the fort. Though some of the parts of the fort have been modified for several reasons, the other places are still at their best look. The wonderful 17th century Moti Masjid has increased the beauty of the fort. The Noti Masjid contains five arches and three domes above the roof which have increased the beauty of it. Unfortunately, the masjid was converted into Sikh Mandir (temple) during the reign of Sikh Maharaja. The gates of the fort also have a grandeur look with the semi-circular bastions. I also visited the Naag temple inside the fort which is mostly famous for fresco paintings. Overall, the entire fort is a place to enjoy the past and thus I like it most