It is the 13th most populated metropolitan area in Pakistan and is located at the foot of the Kashmir hills near the Chenab River, about 125 km (78 mi) north of Lahore. The recorded history of Sialkot covers thousands of years. It was once the ancient capital of Sagala. It has experienced migrations of Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk, Sikh, Mughal and British people. It has been the
birthplace of many noted personalities, including the philosopher/poet Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, the second Prime Minister of India Gulzarilal Nanda, the writer Rajinder Singh Bedi, famous Islamic historian Dr Sheikh Mohammad Iqbal (Kashmir), Kuldip Nayyar and a number of sports and art personalities. The history of industrialisation of Sialkot is very old. The Damascene craftsmen of Sialkot (koftgars or koftars) were famous during the Mughal era for their fine swords and daggers[citation needed]. Papermaking in Sialkot dates back to the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Sialkoti bricks were known throughout South
