Lahore / Attractions / Historical Monuments / Royal Fort - Lahore
Although
most parts of the Royal Fort were constructed around 1566 AD.
by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great, there is evidence that
a mud fort was in existence here in 1021 AD, as well, when Mahmood
of Ghazna invaded this area. Akbar demolished the old mud for
and constructed most of the modem Fort, as we see it today, on
the old foundations. Construction of the fort dates back to the
early Hindu period.
The Royal
Fort is rectangular. The main gates are located alongside the
centre of the western and eastern walls. Every succeeding Mughal
Emperior as well as the Skihs and the British in their turn added
a pavilion, palace or wall to the Fort. Emperor Jehangir extended
the gardens and consructed the palaces that we see today in the
Jehangir's Quadrangle, while Shah-Jehan added Diwan-e-Khas, Moti
Masjid (Pearl Mosque) and his own Sleeping Chambers. Aurangzeb
built the impressive main gate which faces the Hazoori Bagh lying
in between the Badshahi Mosque and the Fort. The famous Sheesh
Mahal or Palace of Mirrors, is in the north-east cor-ner of the
Fort. This is the most beautiful palace in the Fort and is decorated
with small mirrors of different colours set.
The part
of the wall of the Elephant Steps towards the Fort's inner gate
are scarred by bullet marks, bearing testimony to the Sikh Civil
War of 1847 AD.
A party of
Sikhs had mounted their guns on one of the minarets of the mosque
across the courtyard from where they fired on their opponents.
The Sleeping Chamber of Mai Jindan houses a very interesting museum
with relics from Mughal and the Sikh periods.
Religions tried a metaphysical answer, but scientific self-cognition has allowed us to recognize that all religions are just wild fantasies.
http://www.asiatour.com/pakistan/e-05laho/ep-lah13_a1.htm
Jan Garanoz
869/116 Thanon Pemavipat,
Chiang Rai, 57000 Thailand
Created: September 1, 1995
Last updated: February 08, 2010