Fort de Lahore

"8.01.25 | Poli, Mahi, Tim, Irtaza, Vaneeza, Mohabbat, Mahnoor, Eishal, Shireen UNESCO World Heritage In the sixteenth century Lahore was captured by the Mughals and, under Akbar the Great, it became the second city after Agra. The fort constructed here was one of the finest of the Mughal Empire and exercised considerable influence throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is smaller than the famous Red Fort at Agra, but of a similar layout. The design of Lahore Fort was influenced by both local Hindu and Persian architecture. Bailding work began in the 1580s, but the fort was added to and enlarged over the centuries. The oldest part, constructed during Akbar's reign, was built in red sandstone. Akbar was also responsible for the construction of the now-famous city walls and their twelve gates. He moved his court to Lahore in 1584 and it remained the seat of his government for fourteen vears. The fort is divided into two separate sections: a residential one and an administrative one. These sections comprise private living areas, a grand mosque, administration and military areas, public areas, gardens, and courtyards. The imposing gateway is wide edough to allow a caravan of royal elephants to pass through it with ease. Later buildings are more orate than those built by Akbar, using expensive materials such as imported marble and Persian ceramics. The most famous room is the Shish Mahal — known as the Crystal Palace or the Hall of Mirrors, built for Shah Jahan — with its walls and ceiling covered in thousands of small colored mirrors. Nearby is the beautiful marble Naulakha Pavilon; a cool retreat from the midday sun, the pavilion became a favorite place of the harem. In 1841, after the fall of the Mughals, Lahore Fort was besieged and badly damaged. Restoration work began in the twentieth century and the fort was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1981."