As of March 2020, restorations of the Shah Burj Gate at Lahore Fort have been completed according to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
The project was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) but has remained closed for tourism under the closure of the Lahore Fort amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Shah Burj Gate is located beside the famous picture wall, which is known as the largest wall of its kind in the world. It was built by Shah Jahan in 1041 A.H under the supervision of Abdul Karim Mamur Khan.
The project is expected to improve socio-economic conditions through tourism in addition to instilling national pride.
Officials from the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) were assigned to carry out the work. Their first job was to create a comprehensive document detailing existing conditions.
According to AKDN,
“The inscription on the gateway describes a “Divine Throne” that is superior in height, elegance, and purity. The structure’s 2,300 square feet exterior surface area consists of recessed panels covered with fine Kashikari (tile-mosaic) work,”
WCLA invited AKTC to start documenting Lahore Fort. This kicked off the conservation works of the Shah Burj and the Imperial Kitchens as part of a larger “Conservation of the Lahore Fort Plan.”
Restoration of the Shah Burj Gate by AKTC was started in June 2019 following generous funding by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the WCLA and the AKTC. The main focus of the project has been to enhance and maintain the Kashikari work and the iconic Muqarnas (stalactite vaulting) located inside the deep vaulted gateway.
Once documentation was completed, the gate’s entire service was cleaned. Restoration activities were prioritised to address issues such as detachment of tile mosaics and loss of glaze. Subsequently, the reconstruction of missing Kashikari work and Muqarnas was initiated.
AKDN quoted Salman Beg, Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Pakistan who said,
“I am especially delighted with the sensitivity and great attention to detail that went into the restoration of the muqarnas spearheaded by Haider Ali, the project lead.”
“This is the very first time that a muqarnas in a Mughal monument has been restored in Pakistan. As some of us know, the AKTC logo is based on the muqarnas.”
People can’t wait to visit the Shah Burj Gate but unfortunately, they will have to wait once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted in the province.
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