Museums

Allama Iqbal Museum. Allama Iqbal Road, (tel. 636-7046).

Open: 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm to an hour before sunset. Closed on Wednesday. Entry: Free.

This house belonged to the national poet, Allama Iqbal. It was acquired by the Government and has now been set up as a museum showing how the poet lived during his life. Many of the items of daily use of Allama Iqbal are displayed in this house.

Chughtai Museum Trust

Mian Salah Mimar Lane, 4 Garden Town, Open: 2:00 to 6:00 pm except holidays.

The museum has been established by the family of the famous national artist Abdul Rahman Chughtai, an acknowledged master of water color painting. The museum is highly recommended for an insight into the life and work of the famed master, considered to be the greatest Pakistani artist of his period.

The museum mounts special exhibitions related to Chughtai and his work. For on-going exhibitions, telephone between 2:00 to 6:00 pm for information.

The museum is easy to reach as it is located on main Ferozepur Road, near Kalma Chowk, in the Garden Block of Garden Town.

Fakir Khana Museum. Kucha Fakir Khana, Inside Bhati Gate, Bhati Gate Bazaar.

This is a privately established museum, and houses a large collection of artifacts and objects d'art collected by the Fakir family over the last century and a half. The collection comprises miniature paintings, rare manuscripts, carvings and carpets etc. Since members of Fakir family were prominent as part of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Fakir Azeezuddin being his personal physician and foreign minister, the collection has many items that were gifted by Sikh and British rulers.

Fort Museum

Lahore Fort,
0pen: Open all days of the week except Wednesday. The museum is situated in Khwabgah-e-Kalan in Jahangir's Quadrangle in Lahore Fort. The museum contains manuscripts, Mughal miniatures and coins. There is also a large ivory model of the Taj Mahal. Another museum carrying the Sikh collection of arms, battle scenes and Princess Bamba Collection, is situated in the Haveli of Mai Jindan, entered from the Moti Masjid Quad. Open: April 1-September 30: 8:30 am-12:30 pm; 2:30-5:30 pm; October 1 to March 31: 9:00 am-4:00pm.

Lahore Museum

Shaharah-e-Quaid-e-Azam (The Mall). Open: 15 April to 15 October: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; 16 October to 15 April: 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Closed on Wednesday and public holidays.

This is one of the most remarkable edifices of Lahore and the first building designed as a museum to be built in Pakistan portion of undivided India. The museum collection is one of the finest of its kind in the world. The galleries worth visiting are Miniature Paintings Gallery, Manuscripts and Calligraphy Gallery, Gandhara Gallery, Hindu Buddhist & Jain Gallery, Pre- & Proto-historic Gallery, Islamic Gallery, Coin Room and a gallery displaying contemporary paintings by eminent Pakistani painters.

The Miniature Paintings Collection contains 16th century Malwa paintings, fine specimens of Persian, Mughal, Provincial and Bazaar paintings and works from the minor ateliers of Rajput states in Rajasthan. The particularly rich Pahari Paintings Collection comprises paintings from Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Kulu, Mandi and Nurpur. A spectacular ceiling mural painted by the famous artist Sadequain depicts the human urge for knowledge and advancement.

Manuscripts and Calligraphy Collection is housed in one of the newest galleries of the museum. It comprises rare Islamic manuscripts and calligraphy specimens, including a 15th century Holy Quran calligraphed for Abu Saeed Chaqmaq of Egypt, a 17th century copy of Holy Quran printed in Padua (Italy), a manuscript from Shahjahan's library, illustrations from Akbar's period and 62 specimens of the various styles of calligraphy.

Gandhara Collection is housed in a gallery constructed in 1928 for housing 1700 pieces dating from 2nd to 5th century. Since 1969, the most valuable 250 sculptures have been put on display. The most famous are the Fasting Buddha, the Miracle of Sravasti or Sukhavati Heaven, the statue of Athena/Minerva, a gilded head of Buddha, some enormous statues of Buddha and Bodhisattava, along with a reconstructed stupa retrieved from a monastery.

Hindu, Buddhist & Jain Gallery is a long gallery which was constructed in 1894. Among the interesting objects are an enormous Ekamukhalinga (single-faced lingam), a lacquered Buddha from Mynamar, a gilded statue of Chintamuni Buddha, temple banners from Nepal etc.

Pre- & Proto-Historic Collection is housed in a gallery originally built to house the museum offices. It houses the finds of Soan area (near Rawalpindi) of 1938-39, materials from Harrappa and Mohenjodaro received in 1939-40, from Kot Diji and Mehergarh in 1974-90, Cholistan artifacts collected during 1974-76. Some of the objects of interest include stone artifacts from Soan Valley, pottery from Mehrgarh, Kot Diji and Cholistan, iron-age objects from Balambat (Dir) and from unspecified sites in South India.

Islamic Collection is housed in a gallery built in 1894 for display of industrial arts. Since the 1920s, it has exhibited Applied Arts collections. The exhibits include metal ware, peppier Mache objects, embroidered shawls from Kashmir, carpets, swords, shields and daggers, musical instruments, Shahjahani astrolobes and carpets manufactured in Lahore. This gallery also displays the calligraphic murals executed by famous Pakistani artist Sadequain.

The Coin Collection of the museum is particularly rich. Coins dating from 5th century BC now number over 38,000. Of particular interest are coins belonging to Greek, Mughal and Durrani periods. For security reasons the original coins are available for scholars on request; visitors have to be content with examining facsimiles only.

The information regarding museum collections is based on museum pamphlets. The museum is well organized to provide brochures, pamphlets and detailed information.

The Lahore Museum is one of the most exciting places to visit. You will experience a stimulating environment conducive to examining wonderfully varied collections. You will not be able to photograph unless you have prior permission. There is a charge for photography by scholars and if you wish to do so, it is best to enquire at the enquires counter located in the vestibule of the museum.

Shakir Ali Museum

93, Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Open: Weekdays 8:00 am-3:00 pm, Friday 8:00 am-12:00 noon, Sunday closed.

This museum is where the famous artist, considered the father of contemporary painting in Pakistan lived. Shakir Ali, who died in 1975 at the age of 59, was one of the most sensitive artists and is universally held in high regard. He not only brought a breath of fresh air to the artistic world, his contribution to National College of Arts will be long remembered as having set the direction of art education in the country.

The artist, awarded President's Medal for Pride of Performance in 1967 and Sitara-i-Imtiaz, was a qalandar at heart and had little penchant for material acquisitions. During the last years of his life he began the construction of his house in order to be able to have the space to paint. His interest in vernacular and folk art and architecture led him to choose the rough over burnt brick and splendid antique Swati carved elements in the construction of his house. As the house progressed, and it took several years since he never had enough funds, he could be found breaking a wall here, reconstructing it there, if it did not correspond to his concept of the space that he wanted. Due to his intense involvement in the house, the structure itself took over the personality of the artist.

It is but fitting that his house has been converted into an art gallery which displays the masterly works that he himself had created on canvas.

To experience the work of this remarkable artist, you will do well to trek down to New Garden Town and enjoy his works in the ambiance of his house, where his wonderfully humane personality is all pervading through the permanent display of his works and articles of personal use.

Since the museum's establishment in 1976, it has contributed significantly to Lahore's art scene by holding exhibitions, lectures, workshops on visual arts, along with concerts, poetry and play readings etc. Curator M. Riaz Bhatti may be contacted for a schedule of events.

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