The majestic fort, built in the heart of ancient Lahore, located in Pakistan, can be called a veritable encyclopedia of the architecture of the brilliant Mughal Empire, the dynasty that ruled the vast territory of Northern India for several centuries. On the territory of the fort of Lahore, or Shahi-Kila, there are more than 20 monumental structures, which were built in the era of the highest prosperity of the city, to serve as a symbol of the untold wealth and boundless power of the Mughal dynasty Padishahs.
Who Built Lahore Fort?
- The construction of the Lahore Fort in the ancient city of Lahore, which was mentioned as early as the 2nd century AD in the writings of Ptolemy, began in the second half of the 16th century, under Akbar I, the third Padishah of the Mughal Empire.
- From the final disappearance of this masterpiece of architecture was saved by art historians, thanks to which the fort was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
All you should know about Lahore Port :
- After the fall of the Empire, the Grand Mughal city completely lost its former splendor, and the beautiful palaces, gardens, and mosques of the Lahore fort were abandoned.
- The citadel, on the foundation of which the grandiose fort of Lahore grew, was built on the banks of the now dry river Ravi in 1021 for Mahmud of the Ghaznavid dynasty. This mud-brick fort suffered many trials: it suffered from Mongol raids in 1241, was destroyed by the army of Tamerlane in 1398, and was finally captured in 1526 by a descendant of Tamerlane, Padishah Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty.
- Babur’s grandson, Padishah Akbar I, ordered the construction of a powerful fort on the site of an ancient dilapidated fortress, for the construction of which more durable materials were used-baked bricks and blocks of red sandstone.
- All subsequent rulers of the Mughal Empire were engaged in strengthening and improving the fort of Lahore, thanks to which the territory of the fortress was replenished with numerous buildings that were real masterpieces of Islamic culture. But the most luxurious buildings were built in the fort of Lahore during the reign of Shah Jahan (1627-58), who was born in the walls of the Lahore citadel.
- The name of Shah Jahan is known to connoisseurs of Oriental architecture thanks to the magnificent Taj Mahal, which was built on his orders, but many beautiful structures were also created for the Lahore Fort at the behest of this Padishah: the Mirror Palace( Shish Mahal), the Naulakha Pavilion, the Pearl Mosque, the Audience Hall (Diwan-i-Am), etc.
- Under Shah Jahan, the Shalimar gardens were laid out near the fortress walls of Lahore, which were located on three terraces and were filled with hundreds of fountains, ponds, shady alleys, and pavilions for recreation.
- The most famous structures of the Lahore fort complex are those that appeared in the first half of the 17th century, during the reign of Shah Jahan.
- The Mirror Palace (Shish Mahal) was built in 1631 as the personal quarters of the Padishah’s wife but was also used as a harem. Not much remains of the magnificent decoration of the palace to this day, but even looking at the remains of the wonderful mosaics of colorful mirrors, the carved stucco, and openwork arched vaults of the ceilings, you can imagine what luxury reigned here in the heyday of the Mirror Palace.
- In the western part of the fort, near the Alamgiri Gate, there is a Pearl Mosque, which was built in 1635. The elegant building of snow-white marble, crowned with three domes, differs from most mosques in that it has not three, but five arches on the main facade.
- Under the Sikh rule, the Pearl Mosque was named Moti Mandir and was used for some time as the treasury of the state. Another building from the reign of Khan Jahan deserves attention – the Diwan-i-Am or Hall for Public Audiences, which is similar in its architectural forms to a similar hall in the Agra fort.
- The Lal Burj (Red Tower), an octagonal structure that is part of the defensive wall system, also looks attractive. The tower was created under Padishah Jahangir, the father of Khan Jahan, but later it was rebuilt and decorated with filigree carvings and mosaic patterns.
- The perfect irrigation system of the Shalimar gardens is amazing. From the central channel that divides the territory of the park into two symmetrical parts, water flows into a large marble pool. Numerous small canals branch off from the central canal along the terraces.
- More than 400 fountains refresh the air of the gardens, creating a favorable microclimate for both plants and visitors. A variety of fruit and ornamental plants grow in the gardens of Shalimar. Among them are almonds and peaches, cherries and mangoes, mulberries and quinces, as well as sweet and sour varieties of oranges, poplars, and cypresses. These places are especially good during the wild flowering of trees and shrubs.
- The Shalimar gardens bear the characteristics of Persian, Islamic, and Mongolian gardens. Covering an area of 16 hectares, they have a rectangular shape and consist of three separate terraces descending from south to north in the form of a composition of five-meter steps.
- The high stone wall surrounding the garden is elaborately carved.
- On the territory of the terraces, there are picturesque pavilions, decorative pools, and water cascades.
- In addition, there are unique architectural monuments-the Palace of Mirrors (Shish Mahal), the Badshani Mosque, and the Jahangir Mausoleum.
- Inspired by the local beauty, French perfumer Jacques Guerlain in the thirties of the last century created an exquisite perfume Shalimar, worthy of Princess Mahal. Their intoxicating oriental fragrance is reminiscent of the fragrant and unfading gardens around Lahore.
- Five kilometers northeast of Lahore are the ancient gardens of Shalimar. Created in 1642 – during the Mughal era-they still have not lost their beauty and attractiveness.
