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Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort (Punjabi: شاہی قلعہ, romanized: Śā'ī Qilā; Urdu: شاہی قلعہ, romanized: Śāhī Qil'ā; lit. 'Royal Fort') is a citadel in the walled interior of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of the Walled City and is spread over an area greater than 20 hectares (49 acres). It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of Emperor Akbar. The Lahore Fort is notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its splendor and opulence.
Though the site of the present fort has been inhabited for millennia, the first record of a fortified structure at the site was that of an 11th-century mudbrick fort. The foundations of the modern fort was laid in 1566 ,during the reign of Emperor Akbar, in a syncretic architectural style that featured both Islamic and Hindu motifs. Additions from the Shah Jahan period are characterized by marble with inlaid Persian floral designs, while the fort's grand Alamgiri Gate was constructed by the last of the great Mughal emperors, Aurangzeb, and faces the Badshahi Mosque.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire, Lahore Fort was used as the residence of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. The Sikhs made several additions to the fort. It then passed to the control of the East India Company after they annexed Punjab following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding repertoire" of Mughal monuments dating from the era when the empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith.
The fort is located in the northern part of Lahore's old walled city. The fort's Alamgiri gate is part of an ensemble of buildings, which along with the Badshahi Mosque, Roshnai Gate, and Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, form a quadrangle around the Hazuri Bagh. The Minar-e-Pakistan and Iqbal Park are adjacent to the northern boundary of the fort.
Though the site is known to have been inhabited for millennia, the origins of Lahore Fort are obscure and traditionally based on various myths.
The first historical reference to a fort at the site is from the 11th century during the rule of Mahmud of Ghazni. It was made of mud and was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongol Empire during the Siege of Lahore in 1241. A new fort was constructed in 1267 at the site by Sultan Balban of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The rebuilt fort was destroyed in 1398 by the invading forces of Timur, only to be rebuilt by Mubarak Shah Sayyid in 1421. In the 1430s, the fort was occupied by Shaikh Ali of Kabul. It later remained under the control of the Lodi dynasty until Lahore was captured by the Mughal Emperor Babur in 1526.
The present design and structure of the fort trace its origins to 1566 when the Mughal Emperor Akbar occupied the site as a post to guard the northwest frontier of the empire. The strategic location of Lahore, between the Mughal territories and the strongholds of Kabul, Multan, and Kashmir necessitated the dismantling of the old mud-fort and fortification with solid brick masonry. Lofty palaces were built over time, along with lush gardens. Notable Akbar period structures included the Doulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Am, Jharoka-e-Darshan, and Akbari Gate. Many Akbari structures were modified or replaced by subsequent rulers.
Emperor Jahangir first mentions his alterations to the fort in 1612 when describing the Maktab Khana. Jahangir also added the Kala Burj pavilion, which features European-inspired angels on its vaulted ceiling. British visitors to the fort noted Christian iconography during the Jahangir period, with paintings of the Madonna and Jesus found in the fort complex. In 1606, Guru Arjan of the Sikh faith was imprisoned at the fort before his death.
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Lahore Fort
The Lahore Fort (Punjabi: شاہی قلعہ, romanized: Śā'ī Qilā; Urdu: شاہی قلعہ, romanized: Śāhī Qil'ā; lit. 'Royal Fort') is a citadel in the walled interior of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of the Walled City and is spread over an area greater than 20 hectares (49 acres). It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of Emperor Akbar. The Lahore Fort is notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its splendor and opulence.
Though the site of the present fort has been inhabited for millennia, the first record of a fortified structure at the site was that of an 11th-century mudbrick fort. The foundations of the modern fort was laid in 1566 ,during the reign of Emperor Akbar, in a syncretic architectural style that featured both Islamic and Hindu motifs. Additions from the Shah Jahan period are characterized by marble with inlaid Persian floral designs, while the fort's grand Alamgiri Gate was constructed by the last of the great Mughal emperors, Aurangzeb, and faces the Badshahi Mosque.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire, Lahore Fort was used as the residence of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. The Sikhs made several additions to the fort. It then passed to the control of the East India Company after they annexed Punjab following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding repertoire" of Mughal monuments dating from the era when the empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith.
The fort is located in the northern part of Lahore's old walled city. The fort's Alamgiri gate is part of an ensemble of buildings, which along with the Badshahi Mosque, Roshnai Gate, and Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, form a quadrangle around the Hazuri Bagh. The Minar-e-Pakistan and Iqbal Park are adjacent to the northern boundary of the fort.
Though the site is known to have been inhabited for millennia, the origins of Lahore Fort are obscure and traditionally based on various myths.
The first historical reference to a fort at the site is from the 11th century during the rule of Mahmud of Ghazni. It was made of mud and was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongol Empire during the Siege of Lahore in 1241. A new fort was constructed in 1267 at the site by Sultan Balban of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The rebuilt fort was destroyed in 1398 by the invading forces of Timur, only to be rebuilt by Mubarak Shah Sayyid in 1421. In the 1430s, the fort was occupied by Shaikh Ali of Kabul. It later remained under the control of the Lodi dynasty until Lahore was captured by the Mughal Emperor Babur in 1526.
The present design and structure of the fort trace its origins to 1566 when the Mughal Emperor Akbar occupied the site as a post to guard the northwest frontier of the empire. The strategic location of Lahore, between the Mughal territories and the strongholds of Kabul, Multan, and Kashmir necessitated the dismantling of the old mud-fort and fortification with solid brick masonry. Lofty palaces were built over time, along with lush gardens. Notable Akbar period structures included the Doulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Am, Jharoka-e-Darshan, and Akbari Gate. Many Akbari structures were modified or replaced by subsequent rulers.
Emperor Jahangir first mentions his alterations to the fort in 1612 when describing the Maktab Khana. Jahangir also added the Kala Burj pavilion, which features European-inspired angels on its vaulted ceiling. British visitors to the fort noted Christian iconography during the Jahangir period, with paintings of the Madonna and Jesus found in the fort complex. In 1606, Guru Arjan of the Sikh faith was imprisoned at the fort before his death.