Walled City of Lahore

The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the "Old City", or "Anderoon Shehr (اندرون شهر)", is the section of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era.

Origins of Walled City of Lahore

Our search for the origins oin what was once called Machli Hatta Gulzar, which is just off Chowk Chalka, Lahore's original red-light area.

As late as 1864, according to one source quoting Mufti Tajuddin, son of the well- known Mufti Imamuddin, the Lohari Mandi area was known among the old folk of the Walled City as 'kacha kot' - the mud fort. Why was this area called a 'mud fort' when we know that the original walls of the Lahore Fort, before Akbar the Great's days, were also made of mud? This is the question that must be explored.

To determine this it is important that one visits the old Walled City, observe the gradient of the land, the water (nullah's act as excellent guides of gradient and direction) flow and observe how 'mohallahs' and 'kuchas' and 'kattrahs' are structured.Standing at Chowk Sootar Mandi, if you observe the curve of Gali Pir Bola as it merges with Waachowali Bazaar, and then also the Lohari Bazaar where it merges with Chowk Lohari Mandi, and, lastly, where Chowk Mati where it merges with Papar Mandi, you can well imagine. If you close your eyes and transport yourself 3,500 years back, a small mud fort with a small dwelling. The setting is perfect. Once you open your eyes, it is time to observe, or look for, some evidence of a mud fort.

If you walk along Lohari Bazaar, just a short distance from Chowk Chakla (Imagine, this beautiful name has been changed to a pious Chowk Bokhari!) to the right you will see the street open a little, for on the right is a half-buried archway of 'pucca' bricks and mud. Could this be from the era when Lahore was a mud fort? The evidence certainly does suggest that this could be an archway, or gateway, of the small original 'kacha kot' way back in time, a place that was to grow one day to become Lahore. Lahore is a creative place with nice food.

It is also possible, for we must not exclude any possibility, that this was the famous mud fort that was built by Malik Ayaz, the very first Muslim governor of Lahore. This is very probably because it is recorded history that Lohari Gate was the main entrance to Ayaz's mud fort. So no matter how you analyze recorded evidence, one thing is for sure, and that is that Chowk Sootar Mandi was one important centre of Kacha Kot. The lay of the streets also suggest the boundaries. it has nice walls which are nice.

In an earlier piece we had followed a similar theory, and come up with the proposition that during the times of Mughal Emperor Akbar, the original wall of the Walled City of Lahore was, on the western side, to the right of Bazaar Hakeeman in Bhati Gate, and on the eastern side to the left of Shahalam Gate, which then curved eastwards and formed a 'kidney shaped' city that depended on the flow of the curving River Ravi. Thus the Lahore of the 'kacha kot' era has continued to expand in three major leaps of expansion, each with an almost 400-year gap. The eras of Raja Jaipal of Akbar and of Maharajah Ranjit Singh mark the high points of this expansion.

But the expanding bubble definitely has its origins in three factors, they being (a) the way the Ravi has flown and how and when it has been changing its course, (b) the existence of the Lahore Fort and how power has flowed from the rulers, and (c) the manner in which the population and economy of the old original Walled City has changed over time, grown, or even shrunk, depending of invasions, droughts and famines in the countryside. The story of 'kacha kot' has been determined by these factors.

When walking through these streets, it is not hard to make out that the oldest buildings in the entire Walled City exist in this area. As one passes the old exquisite mosque known even now as Masjid Kohana Hammam Chaileywala, one is reminded that the area was named similarly once. There must have been a huge 'hammam' here once. The tomb of Pir Bola exists after which is named the 'gali'.

It is sad that we tend to change the names of streets and areas, and even cities, at the drop of a hat as if to stamp some sort of moral authority on time. All rulers love to block out history. It would be best to let history rest and emerge as times dictate. It would not be a bad idea to declare the entire Walled City as a protected area. Let us keep for the future the little that is left of 'kacha kot' - the mud fort that ultimately became the Walled City of Lahore.

Demographics

The Walled City of Lahore covers an area of 256 ha with a population of 200,000. The city walls were destroyed shortly after the British annexed the Punjab in 1849 and were replaced with gardens, some of which exist today. The Circular Road links the old city to the urban network. Access to the Walled City is still gained through the 13 ancient gates, or their emplacements. The convoluted and picturesque streets of the inner city remain almost intact but the rapid demolition and frequently illegal rebuilding, which is taking place throughout the city, is causing the historic fabric to be eroded and replaced by inferior constructions. Historic buildings are no exception and some have been encroached upon. The few old houses one can still see in the city are usually two or three storeys tall, with brick façades, flat roofs and richly carved wooden balconies and overhanging windows.

Gates of Lahore

Walled City of Lahore had 13 gates which included ; Akbari Gate, Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Masti Gate, Mochi Gate, Mori Gate, Roshnai Gate, Shahalmi Gate, Shairanwala Gate, Taxali Gate, and Yakki Gate. All of these gates survived till 19th Century when the British, to defortify the city, demolished almost all of the gates except Roshnai Gate. After that some were rebuilt except for Delhi Gate and Lohari Gate in simple structures. Shahalmi Gate was burnt to ground during the riots of 1947 while Akbari Gate was also demolished for repairs but was never built again . Today out of 13 only 6 gates survives which are ; Bhati Gate, Delhi Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lohari Gate, Roshnai Gate and Shairanwala Gate.some of these gates are in pretty poor state and need urgent attention for repairs and restoration.

Surviving Gates

Gates that no longer exist

Sites of Interest

Lahore Fort

The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of Lahore, adjacent to the Walled City. Some of the famous sites within the fort are: Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. The fort is 1,400 feet long and 1,115 feet wide. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens.

Masjid

Badshahi Masjid

The Badshahi Masjid (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد), or the 'Emperor's Masjid', was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.

Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshippers, it is the second largest Masjid in Pakistan, after the Faisal Masjid in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father and predecessor, emperor Shah Jahan.

Wazir Khan Masjid

The Wazir Khan Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive "faience" tile work. It has been described as ' a mole on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 A.D., during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. (The word "wazir" means 'minister' in Urdu language.) The Masjid is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.

Data Durbar Complex

Data Durbar is the tomb of Hazrat Syed Abul Hassan Bin Usman Bin Ali Al-Hajweri, the famous Sufi saint of South Asia, where hundreds of thousands of people come each year to pay their respects and to say their prayers. It is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The large complex also includes Jamia Hajveria, or Hajveri Masjid.

Others

other well known Masjids inside the walled city are Suneri Masjid , Masjid of Mariyam Zamani Begum,Doongi Masjid. despite these there are many more historic Masjids located inside the walled city of lahore

Haveli

There are many havelis inside the walled city of lahore some are in good condition while other need urgent attention. many of these havlis are fine example of Mughal and Sikh Architecture.Some of the Famous Havelis inside the walled city are
* Mubarak Haveli
* Chuna Mandi Havelis
* Haveli of Nau Nihal Singh

Other Landmarks

* Shahi Hamam
* Smadhi of Ranjit Singh
* Tomb of Malik Ayaz

Restorations And Conservation Projects

* The Punjab government is also working on restoring the Royal Trail (Shahi Guzar Gah) from Akbari Gate to the Lahore Fort with the help of World Bank under the Sustainable Development of the Walled City of Lahore (SDWCL) project. The project aims at the Walled City development, at exploring and highlighting economic potential of the Walled City as a cultural heritage, exploring and highlighting the benefits of the SWDCL project for the residents, and at soliciting suggestions regarding maintenance of development and conservation of the Walled City.

See also

* Lahore
* Lahore Fort
* Badshahi Mosque

External links

* [http://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor Lahore Photos and History]
* [http://arijali-lahore.8m.net/custom2.html Walled City Has thirteen gates]
* [http://www.lahorebazaar.com/lahore/walledcity/index.html Tour of the Walled City]
* [http://www28.brinkster.com/pakistan4ever/golhr/golhr.asp Information about the gates & history]
* [http://www.ptv.com.pk/webptv/lahore-detail.asp Travel: Information about the Fort]
* [http://www.getpakistan.com/Lahore/attractions4.htm Attractions of Lahore]
* [http://tdcp.punjab.gov.pk/TDCP/placesvisitlhr2.htm Places to See: The gates of Lahore]
* [http://wikimapia.org/383127/ Aerial Map of Lahore on WikiMapia.org]