Sialkot is a city in the Punjab province of northeastern Pakistan, about 125 km north of Lahore near the Indian border. It is one of Pakistan's most prosperous industrial cities, and its prosperity is built on a remarkable specialisation: Sialkot produces roughly half of the world's hand-stitched footballs, a large share of its surgical instruments, and much of its field hockey equipment. The factories and workshops are the main reason visitors come — the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce can arrange visits to local manufacturing units.
The city has a history that predates its industrial fame considerably. Sialkot is the birthplace of Muhammad Iqbal, the philosopher-poet who is widely credited with first articulating the idea of a Muslim homeland in South Asia, later realised as Pakistan. His birthplace on Iqbal Road, known as Iqbal Manzil, is preserved as a museum. The 1,800-year-old Sialkot Fort in the city centre is another historical landmark, though most of it is in poor condition. The city also has an old Sikh shrine (Bari Sahib) and a 150-year-old cathedral in the cantonment area that reflects the British colonial period.
Getting to Sialkot is straightforward from Lahore — about two hours by car or 2.5 hours by bus. The city opened its own international airport in 2007, one of the few privately developed airports in Pakistan, with connections to the Gulf and plans for further routes.