ISB to Faisal Mosque and Margalla Hills

Pakistan's largest mosque with its striking modern design, set against the backdrop of the forested Margalla Hills.

Faisal Mosque is one of the most visually distinctive mosques in the world, designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay in the shape of a desert Bedouin tent, with four 90-meter minarets styled as pencils rather than traditional cylinders. Completed in 1986 with funding from Saudi King Faisal, it was the world's largest mosque at the time (capacity 100,000) and remains one of the largest. The stark white triangular facade set against the green Margalla Hills is Islamabad's most iconic image.

The Margalla Hills National Park, forming the city's northern boundary, offers accessible hiking trails with views over Islamabad's grid-pattern sectors and, on clear days, across to the Pothohar Plateau. Trail 3 (to Pir Sohawa viewpoint), Trail 5 (the most popular), and the more challenging Trail 6 are favorites. The Margalla Hills are home to leopards, monkeys, and over 600 bird species.

Daman-e-Koh, a terraced garden viewpoint partway up the Margalla Hills, provides the classic panoramic photograph of Islamabad with Faisal Mosque in the foreground. The area is particularly beautiful at sunset when the mosque and hills are bathed in golden light.