multan: where ancient history meets sweltering heat
multan, what can i even say about this place? it's one of those cities that's been around forever, like, seriously ancient. if you're into history, this place is basically a living museum. i just checked and it's about 15.92°C there right now, feels like 15.45°C, hope you like that kind of thing.
the city's located in punjab province, right along the chenab river. it's built on this mound just east of the waterway, which is kinda cool. the coordinates are 30.12'n latitude and 71.26'e longitude, if you're into that sort of thing.
the climate here is... intense. we're talking subtropical hot desert, which basically means sweltering summers and short, cool winters. the annual average is 25.2°c, but in summer, it can get up to 45°c or more. that's not even a typo. winters are more reasonable, around 13-15°c. rainfall is minimal at just 186.8mm annually, so don't expect any monsoon action.
multan's got this whole ancient vibe going on. it's one of the oldest inhabited cities in asia, with roots in the indus valley civilization. emperor akbar even established the subah of multan as one of his imperial provinces. someone told me that it was one of the largest provinces by land area and population back in the day. the city's been a major cultural, religious, and economic center for centuries.
if you get bored, lahore is just a 4-hour drive away on the karachi-lahore motorway (m3). they're working on connecting all these places better, which is good because i hate long drives.
the city's known for its handicrafts, especially blue pottery and traditional textiles. someone told me that they produce some amazing stuff here, though i didn't really get to see much of it during my short visit. there's also this annual mango festival, which sounds awesome because i love mangoes. the region's famous for them, apparently.
so yeah, multan's this ancient city with a lot of history and a really intense climate. it's not exactly a tourist hotspot, but it's got its own charm. if you're into history and don't mind the heat, it might be worth checking out. just make sure to bring a lot of water and maybe a hat.
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