Walled City
Shrines
Due to the pressures
of a burgeoning
population in the
limited area of the
Walled City, most of
the shrines have
been reconstructed.
Where once they were
located on generous
grounds, amidst
graveyards, today
they are hemmed in
by surrounding
structures, and
unfortunately have
lost their original
character due to
reconstruction.
Pir Sirajuddin
alias Pir Shirazi
This is a shrine
situated in Kucha
Pir Shirazi named
after the saint—an
area situated
between the Shahalmi
and Lohari Gates
which was known as
Guzar Mubaraz Khan
during the Mughal
reign.
Although the mazar
is accessible from
Lohari Gate via
Bukhari Bazaar to
the east, you can
reach it, albeit
through narrow
congested streets,
from Shahalmi Gate
via Papar Mandi. At
Papar Mandi Chowk a
turning to the right
(north) on Kucha Pir
Shirazi leads you
directly to the
courtyard of the
shrine of Pir
Shirazi. A green
painted door marks
the entry to a
courtyard surrounded
by tall structures
mostly dating from
the Sikh Period, and
houses the tomb of
the celebrated
fourteenth century
saint.
The chamber itself
is small, almost 9'
x 8', and is located
next to a mosque. An
ancient well is
reported to have
existed to the east
of the mosque;
however, in an
attempt to enlarge
the prayer area, the
well was filled,
probably during
construction
activity carried out
on the tomb in 1975
by Haji Muhammad
Ismail Chughtai, a
resident of Kucha
Pir Shirazi. Pir
Sirajuddin hailed
from Bukhara and
migrated to Lahore
in 723 /1323 during
the reign of
Muhammad Tughlaq. He
became known as Pir
Siraji (from
Sirajuddin), a name
later corrupted to
Pir Shirazi.
When the pir
declined to accept a
particular post (mansab)
offered to him, an
enraged king ordered
his execution. His
life however was
spared due to the
intervention of
close courtiers of
the ruler. Much
disheartened, the
saint decided to
withdraw from the
public eye and
discontinued his
madrassah and
sermons, confining
himself to seclusion
and meditation.
Shaikh Abdul
Hamid al-Hassan
alias Pir Balkhi
Shaheed
The tomb is located
almost half way
through Kashmir!
Bazaar, at a
distance of hardly
20 meters from
Mohallah Tezabian.
It is best to take
the route from Masti
Gate and travel
south in Masti Gate
Bazaar, traverse
Moti Bazaar and turn
left (east) on Chowk
Surjan Singh, to
arrive at Dabbi
Bazaar via Hatta
Bazaar.
A turning to the
left (east) at the
junction of Hatta
Bazaar and Shahalmi
Bazaar and
proceeding along on
Dabbi Bazaar will
lead you to Kashmir!
Bazaar. The shrine
is located on the
right hand side of
the road and a
little to the east
of the junction of
Dabbi Bazaar with
Kasera Bazaar. The
mazar is also
accessible from the
congested Dehli Gate
Bazaar and Wazir
Khan mosque as well
as from Shahalmi
Gate.
The ancient chamber
was relocated from
its original
position by Nawab
Bhikari Khan to
provide the desired
alignment for the
road that leads to
Sonehri Masjid (c.
1750) being built by
him at the time. The
saint. Shaikh Abdul
Hamid (d.453/1245),
came from Baikh,
which resulted in
the appellation
Balkhi to his name.
He had arrived in
Lahore during a
period when Lahore
was besieged by the
raids of Chingiz
Khan's grandson Ali
Khan. Pir Balkhi
died fighting while
resisting the attack
of Mongolian hordes
on a rampage in
Lahore. His death in
trying to keep the
invaders at bay
earned him the title
of shaheed (martyr)
by a grateful Muslim
community of the
much-ravaged city.
Syed Ahmad Tokhta
Tirmizi
The approach to the
tomb is through
Akbari Gate, past
Chowk Nawab Sahib.
Turning left into
Azad Bazaar then
taking an immediate
right from the Chowk
on Lakarmandi
Bazaar, going past
Mubarak Haveli and
Nisar Haveli, a
narrow street leads
you to Mohallah
Chillah Bibian. The
shrine is located
within a courtyard
with high walls
built around it as
if for a house.
Unfortunately, the
pressure of
development is such
that the original
character of the
shrine is lost, and
the guardians have
made an attempt to
conform to the
architectural
character of the
closely-knit
surrounding houses.
There is just a
platform containing
the grave of the
saint. Its newly
built structure
still needs
finishing. Located
at a corner it is
approachable from
narrow streets and
is marked with signs
and name of the
saint.
Although belonging
to one of the most
ancient saints of
Lahore—he is
believed to have
arrived in Lahore in
the 12th century-it
seems to be the only
extant tomb in an
area once
encompassed by a
large graveyard.
The saint, Syed
Tokhta Tirmizi (d.
602/1206), hailing
from Tirmiz, is
reputed to be the
father of the
'chaste ladies'
buried in Bibi Pak
Damanan tomb. His
whole life was
devoted to the
propagation of
Islam.
After arriving in
Lahore he resided in
Mohallah Chillah
Bibian, a locality
where he was buried
on his death. As in
the case of other
mosques and tombs,
Sikhs are believed
to have removed the
valuable sang-i-murmiir
(white marble)
facing and other
expensive stones
from the shrine.
The saint belongs to
the Naqshbandi
silsila.
Syed Saif Suf
Faiz Bakhsh
This shrine is
comparatively easy
to locate, situated
as it is in the
square or open land
in front (east) of
the celebrated
Masjid Wazir Khan.
The chamber housing
a single grave is
octagonal in plan
and is entered from
another enclosure
contained within
panels of terracotta
fretwork. A low dome
is terminated with a
metallic finial
while the side
parapet walls are
finished in merlon
design; the interior
is decorated with
mirror work and
embellished by the
use of chandeliers.
Syed Suf (d.
786/1284) was a
contemporary of Syed
Ishaq Gazruni (whose
shrine is in the
basement below the
courtyard of Masjid
Wazir Khan), and not
his brother as is
sometimes believed.
A saint of great
piety, Syed Suf is
said to have arrived
in Lahore during the
reign ofFeroze
ShahTughlaq. He was
martyred in battle.
The area where the
tomb is located was
once known as
Mohallah Rra and
contained the haveli
of Nadir Khan Lodhi.
It was bought by
Shahjahan's
confidante Nawab
Wazir Khan in order
to build his
remarkable Jamia
Masjid. Later,
during the British
Period, on
instructions of the
Deputy Commissioner,
Major Macgregor,
existing buildings
were demolished to
create a chowk
(square) here, when
the contractor Mian
Muhammad Sultan
rebuilt the mazar of
the saint—a shrine
that had been
popular all through
the Sikh rule. A
marble plaque, no
longer extant, was
placed by Sultan on
the shrine: "On the
desire of Major
George Macgregor,
sahib bahadur Deputy
Commissioner
District Lahore,
Mazar of Hazrat Syed
Suf, built by Shaikh
Sultan Contractor
sarkar faiz asar
company angrez
bahadurdam iqbalahu
(May their dignity
last for ever), in
the year 1852,
corresponding to
1908 Samvat, and
1268 Hijri."
A popular shrine, it
is visited by a
large number of
followers not only
on the annual urs
days but all the
year round. The
annual urs of the
saint is held from
15 to 20 Rajab.
Miran Badshah
Syed Ishaq Gazruni
alias Pir Sabz
You will have no
difficulty in
locating the shrine
of this 13th century
saint, located as it
is below the
courtyard of the
famous Masjid Wazir
Khan. The mosque
itself is located at
the extreme western
end of Dehli Gate
Bazaar—a congested
street providing you
with the full flavor
of the Walled City.
According to
Tahqiqat-e-Chishti,
when Nadir Khan
Lodhi built his
haveli, which is
mentioned above, he
incorporated the
mazar in it. Later,
the whole area and
the Lodhi haveli
(mansion) was
acquired by
Shahjahan's governor
Wazir Khan for the
construction of his
spectacular Jamia
Masjid. He
maintained due
reverence by
ensuring a prominent
position for the
mazar in the
mosque's courtyard.
The pavilion-like
structure, decorated
with fresco painting
and mirrorwork,
located in the
southwest corner of
the mosque courtyard
marks the location
of the sepulchre.
Steps lead to a
subterranean chamber
containing the grave
of the saint as well
as another chamber
which accommodates
visitors wishing to
offer fateha
(prayers for the
departed soul). The
grave of the saint
itself is extra-long
in size—perhaps
conveying the
larger-than-life
status of the saint.
No original
inscription is
extant, though a
marble headstone was
fixed here by Aminul
Hasnat Syed Khalil
Qadri in 1970.
Syed Muhammad Ishaq
(d. 786/1284) hailed
from Gazrun (Central
Asia), and had
undergone rigorous
training and
education in
religious and
temporal subjects by
well known scholars
and saints. On
arrival in Lahore,
he imparted
religious
instruction and
achieved such
eminence that
well-known scholars
and thousands of
followers would
congregate at his
madrassah. Due to
his eminence he was
referred to as
Qutubul Aftab and
Shaikh al Shayukh
(the sun of all
eminence and the
shaikh of all the
shaikhs).
Syed Ishaq Gazruni
is also referred to
as Sabz Pir (the
green saint)—due to
the popular belief
that the green vine
on his katcha grave
provided cure for
all ailments.
However, once the
new mosque was
constructed, the
vine no longer
thrived due to the
reconstruction of
the shrine.
Pir Zaki Shaheed
Pir Zaki's mazar is
located at Yakki
Gate, at the
entrance to the
Walled City—the
location where on
his being martyred,
the severed head of
the saint was found
and buried. You will
find the shrine on
the left-hand-side
(west) of the gate,
across the street
from a large mosque
known as Madina
Masjid. The gate is
named after the
shrine—Zaki
Gate—which, over
time became
corrupted to Yakki
Gate.
The chamber itself
is a simple
structure of size
12' x 9'. Of recent
vintage, it is
accessible through a
collapsible door
directly from Yakki
Gate Bazaar.
The remaining
portion of the
saint's body lies
interned in another
tomb at a distance
of approximately 50
metres, in an area
known as Purani Ghas
Mandi (the old
market for grass or
fodder), located at
the north east of
Madina Masjid. The
chamber containing
the remains is a
slightly larger room
of 15'x8'.
Quoting Tuhfatui
Wasilin, Latif
informs us that the
sairtt lived-during
the reign of slave
kings and was
assassinated in a
war against Mongol
invaders. When the
Mongols laid siege
to the city, he was
responsible for
guarding the gate,
where he fell
fighting in the
battle. Even after
his head had been
severed, the saint
continued to fight,
killing many with
his sword, and this
is the reason why
his body is buried
50 yards from his
head.
This impressive tale
of valour has been
current among the
resident of the city
for centuries, due
to which the
particular gate of
the walled city was
named after him and
his name carries the
appellation 'shaheed'
(one who dies in
propagating Islam).
Syed Muinuddin
alias Syed Mitha
Sarkar
It is best to
approach the shrine
of this 13th century
saint from Roshnai
Gate. Traveling
south on Shahi
Mohallah Road, you
should turn left
(east) into Shahi
Mohallah Bazaar and
then veer south
again into Said
Mitha Bazaar (a road
that connects Shahi
Mohallah Road with
Chowk Jhanda and
Lohari Mandi
Bazaar). Pir Mitha
Mazar consists of
the main gateway
opening on the
street, along with a
few window-like
openings, topped by
a tall dome.
Although situated on
the edge of the road
there is .no trace
of the original
structure, nor any
historic
inscriptions, the
tomb having been
rebuilt in the early
1990s.
Syed Muinuddin (d.
661/1263) arrived in
Lahore with his
father, who fled
from Khwarzam (Iran)
which had been
invaded and
destroyed by the
hordes of Chingiz
Khan. Muinuddin,
because of his piety
and softly delivered
speech and courtly
manners became known
as Syed Mitha or
sweet.
His annual urs is
held in the month of
March. He belonged
to Naqshbandi
silsila.Chah Miran Shrines Group 1
Chah Miran Shrines Group 2
Baghbanpura Shrines
Shalamar Link Road Shrines
Cantonment & Mian Mir Shrines
Shah Jamal & The ciry Shrines
The Walled City Shrines
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