Srinagar is the largest city of Kashmir which is also the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and due to its qualities its also a center of attraction for tourists. Srinagar is spread over an area of 103.93 sq kms. and its height above sea level is 1730 meters. This is a beautiful tourist place with mixture of various castes, cultures and languages. The main specialty about this city are its waterfalls and gardens made by Mughal emperors which represent the beauty of 4th and 5th century. Various historians have different views about the establishment of Srinagar but to days truth is that Srinagar is surrounded on both the sides of Jhelum river. Mountains covered with snow, beautiful trees of Chinar, beautiful valleys ,world famous lakes like Nagina and Dull represents the view of this city. Due to its nice climate Srinagar attracts tourist throughout the year.
With its almost medieval charm the city of Srinagar has sights, smells and sounds to enchant the most jaded traveller. Its typical roads and bustling bazars are a photographer's delight. A Mughal fort, developed to its full size in the late 18th century by an Afghan governor named Atta mohammed Khan around and atop Kohi-i-Maran dominates the city. The low wall enclosing the upper part of the hill was constructed by Emperor Akbar. Sprawling from the southward from the base of the Hill, the old city is the nerve centrer of Srinagar. In Persian chronicles, it is called "Shehr-e-Khas" or Main City of Kashmir. Srinagar has long been Kashmir's most important commercial town. Boats have been a primary means of conveyance in the past. On the banks of river Jehlum, an arterial waterway, the city is formed over a dozen of bridges which span the River and include Zero bridge, Abdullah bridge, Amira kadal, Budshah kadal, Habba kadal, Fateh kadal, Zaina Kadal, Ali kadal,Nawa kadal & Safa kadal. Old brick buildings line the banks with distinctive look.
Srinagar is a unique city with breathtaking physical environment, lakes, mughal gardens, springs, golf course, hills & mountains,cycling tracks, trekking opportunities, angling ,water sports, indoor sports, world class hotels and an international conference centre, restaurants, traditional and continental foods. Besides, it is endowed with spiritual places , exquisite arts and crafts and rich heritage. Neolithic age ruins (Burzhama site) & Budhist era ruins ( Harwan) are an archeologist's delight. |
the most important tourist attraction in Srinagar, the Dal Lake has, within its periphery, four enormous water bodies, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, Gagribal and Nagin. The lake is not a flat, continuous mass of water, but an intricate labyrinth of waterways, that constitute a spectacular sight and an amazing locale to explore.
the largest freshwater lake in India, Wular Lake lies about 32 kms to the northwest of Srinagar city. The lake is surrounded by high mountains on the north and north-east of the valley, which augment the scenic charm of the region. 
This beautiful mosque is across the Dal from Shalimar. It ia made up of white marble in the shape of dome and a miniature. It is the repository of a single hair of the Prophet Mohammed, exhibited to the public on certain days of the year.
Located on top of a hill known as ‘Takht-e-Suleiman’, this ancient temple stands at an altitude of about 1100 feet above the surface level of main Srinagar city. The sacred temple can be visited only through a trek to the top of the hills. 
The Jama Masjid at Nowhatta, in the heart of the old city, is the other important mosque in Srinagar at which thousands of people congregate for the Friday prayers. Of imposing proportions, the mosque is built around a courtyard and is supported by 370 wooden pillars. The hushed quiet of the mosque counterpoints the bustle of the old bazaars surrounding it. Originally built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400 AD, and enlarged by his son, Zain-ul- Abidin, it is a typical example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Destroyed thrice by fire and rebuilt each time, the mosque, as it now stands, was repaired during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh. 
