Introduction
 The Shahi Qila or
the Mughal Fort is
located at an
eminence in the
northwest corner of
the Walled City. The
citadel is spread
over approximately
50 acres and is
trapezoidal in form.
Plans are afoot to
open eastern Akbari
Gateway, the Fort's
Masjidi Darwaja, to
the general public.
You will then be
able to combine this
route with Mughal
Rahguzar tour which
concludes with
Maryam Zamani
mosque. Entry from
the ponderous Akbari
Gateway into
Diwan-e-Aam
Quadrangle provides
an exciting
historical
continuity than the
present
British-period gate
route.
For access to the
present entrance,
from Circular Road
you should take a
turning south,
opposite the famous
Yadgar-e-Pakistan
tower dominating the
expanse of Iqbal
Park or Yadgar-e-Pakistan
Park (formerly Minto
Park). The wall that
you will notice from
the Circular Road is
the Sikh Period
perimeter wall,
beyond which the
original Mughal
fortification wall
is visible. The road
leads to Hazuri Bagh
and Badshahi Mosque.
Just before the
entrance to Hazuri
Bagh on your left
you will find the
'postern' gateway
dating to 1853 which
provides access to
the fort. You can
drive up the British
Period vehicular
ramp and arrive at
the western end of
Diwan-e-Aam
Quadrangle, which is
located
approximately fifty
feet above the
adjacent ground
level.
Before going up the
ramp, if you tarry a
little at the Mughal
Period fortification
wall, you will be
able to enjoy a
spectacular
tile-mosaic mural
wall, extending to
three-quarter mile
and over 50 feet
high. You must be on
the lookout, for the
decoration is easy
to miss, since the
tile mosaic figures
happen to be way
above eye level and
are often overlooked
when tourists drive
up the ramp. This is
the famed Pictured
Wall of the Great
Mughals, of which
the Hathi Pol-the
lofty Shahjahani
Gateway—is an
integral part. This
gateway allowed the
royal entourage on
elephants to enter
the citadel,
traversing the
elephant ramp that
terminates at the
forecourt of Shah
Burj. The Pictured
Wall, so labelled by
archaeologist Ph.
Vogel in his
monograph, extends
the whole length of
the west
fortification wall,
with belvederes
situated in the Shah
Burj including the
famous Naulakha
Pavilion visible
from the lower
level. The view from
below hardly
prepares you for the
spectacular
structures you will
find when you enter
the Shah Burj
quadrangle.
The mural wall turns
the corner and
continues as the
north fortification
wall, with several
pavilions
 situated
on the top and
overlooking the
north aspect—this is
the area where once
the waters of the
Ravi washed the
foundations of the
fortification wall.
This is where a
promenade with
beautifully laid out
gardens by the river
bank, along with
spaces where
elephant and other
animal fights were
held for the
amusement of the
royal family and the
courtiers watching
from an eminence.
The Pictured Wall is
a spectacular
display ofMughal
court life and is a
remarkable mural,
the only one of its
kind in the world.
where most of the
northern wall was
rendered in tile
mosaic (kashi)
during Jahangir's
reign, part of the
north wall, under
Shah Burj and the
whole of the west
wall is the work of
Shahjahan.
Interestingly, the
same architect,
Abdul Karim Mamur
Khan, was employed
by Jahangir and
during the early
part of Shahjahan's
reign, a fact which
was instrumental in
bringing harmony to
the two sections.
However, if examined
carefully, certain
differences can be
seen between the
walls of the two
periods.
The wall displays
wonderful renderings
of animal, celestial
and human figures in
intricate tiny tile
mosaic cut to the
exact shapes, along
with geometric and
floral elements. The
wall, divided up
into panels, also
once carried
beautifully executed
fresco decoration,
only some examples
of which are extant.
For a detailed
discussion of this
extraordinary wall,
you will need to see
the forthcoming
2-volume publication
on the Lahore Fort
and Pictured Wall
published by the
Heritage Foundation
Pakistan.
On the north,
evidence of the
subterranean
chambers is clearly
seen, and these were
built to bring the
northern edge on
level with the
southern part of the
citadel. These rooms
were the teh khana
providing cool
accommodation during
summer, and were
accessible from
various residential
suites. There is
little doubt that
Akbar was the real
architect of
Lahore's Mughal
Fort, although the
original tort boasts
of ancient
lineage—being
attributed to Loh,
son of the Hindu
mythological figure
Rama, which would
date it to 1000 BC.
Lahore went through
many upheavals,
having been made to
bear the onslaught
of various conquerors, whether
Alexander, Mahmud of
Ghanzi or Chingiz
Khan, Lahore managed
to withstand them
all.
To Lahore shahr and
subah, the Mughals
brought a level of
stability and
prosperity hardly
witnessed before.
The city's
prominence coincided
with its declaration
by Akbar as the
second capital, when
for 14 years
(1585-1598) Lahore
became a focal point
of Mughal art and
architecture. Akbar
decided to construct
his secular
sovereign / palace-administra
ti ve citadel,
perching it on high
ground, on the banks
of a branch of the
river Ravi that
commanded an
all-encompassing
view of the Walled
City
 lyihgbelow. As
capital Lhore rose
to the position of
cultural capital of
the empire—a
cultural city par
excellence, an
attribute it
possesses to this
day.
The citadel is
divided into
different sections,
each creating its
own world within its
quadrangle, but they
are all
interconnected for
ease of
administration of
the fort. In the
various sections of
the citadel you will
be able to enjoy the
contribution of
successive Mughal
emperors—at least
three of the Great
Mughals are
represented within
the confines of the
citadel, namely
Akbar, Jahangir and
Shahjahan. The
fourth. Emperor
Aurangzeb Alamgir,
although he built
outside the citadel,
constructed the
impressive Jamia
Masjid—Badshahi
Masjid and, like the
other three left an
indelible
architectural mark
on the cultural map
of Lahore.
The route devised
for visiting the
magnificent Mughal
citadel takes you
from the public
arena of Maidan
Diwan-e-Aam to the
semi-royal quad of
Moti Masjid and
private royal
quarters—the quads
named after Jahangir
and Shahjahan. It
finally leads you to
the most sumptuous
and imperial of all.
Shah Burj or Royal
Tower built by that
most discriminating
of Mughal
emperors—Shahjahan.
The task is made
easier due to the
Mughal planning of
interconnected
quad-gardens around
which various suites
were constructed,
each carrying a
world of its own
within its own
chahar bagh.
Timings: April
1-Sept. 30: 7:30 am
to 1/2 hour before
sunset;
Oct. 1-March 31:
8:30 am to 1/2 hour
before sunset.Diwan-e-Aam Quadrangle
Moti Masjid Quadrangle
Jahangir's Quadrangle
Shahjahan's Quadrangle
Paien Bagh & Khilwat Khana Quadrangle
Shah Burj or Royal Tower
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