Lahore Full Day Gateway

Lahore Fort/Shahi Qila or the Mughal Fort is located at an eminence in the northwest corner of the Walled City. The citadel is spread over approximately 42 acres and is trapezoidal in form. Plans are afoot to open eastern Akbari Gateway, the Fort's Masjidi Darwaja, to the general public. Maryam Zamani mosque is situated near this gate on the opposite side behind the rim market. Entry from the ponderous Akbari Gateway into Diwan-e-Aam Quadrangle provides an exciting historical continuity than the present British-period gate route.
It is very important & historical monument and is a world heritage site under the UNESCO.

The Smadh of Ranjit Singh is opposite to the fort. It is a mysterious looking building of red sandstone and brick, an adaptation of the Muslim architecture against the Hindu back-ground.
The roof is covered with pavilions, klosks, stone lantrens and cupolas encircled by an elaborate balustrade.
The figures of Ganesh and other Hindu deities are carved above the portal. The walls are adorned with perforated screen work. The ceilings are decorated with small convex mirrors set in white cement.
The burial seprichral chamber is floored with marble, and in the centre Loco is a dais on which is a marble churn carved as a lotus. It contains lat form the ashes of Ranjit Singh. This is surrounded by seven similar vases which contain the ashes of the Ranis who immolated themselves on the occasion of the death of tho Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.
Two small domed buildings adjoining the smadhi of Ranjit Singh contain the ashes of Kharak Singh and his four wives, and Nau Nihal Singh and his two wives.

Hazuri Bagh, lined with cloisters for mendicants and holy men, was built as a forecourt for the grand mosque. The Hazuri Bagh pavilion that dominates the centre of the quad was built by Ranjit Singh in 1818 AD.
Opposite (south) is the Hazuri Bagh Gate, which was built as part of a boarding house for scholars and students attached to the mosque.
An impressive gateway in the east, the Alamgiri Gateway, was built specially and oriented in the direction of the mosque to provide suitable emphasis when entered from the citadel.
Once known as Serai of Aurangzeb Alamgir.

The tomb/mausoleum of Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) the great poet of the east, and the man who first conceived of the idea of Pakistan stands at the foot of the Badshahi Masjid.
Iqbal ranks among the greatest poets of the world of all times.
In his poetry the basic message is the message of 'Self". He wanted every one to develop his "self".
He wanted the Muslims to stand
on their own legs. He stood for Islamic renaissance. He advocated a social economic and political order based on the principles of Islam. He inspired the Muslims to action, and Pakistan was the culmination of his thought.
The mausoleum is so designed as not to impede the view of the Badshahi Mosque. The mausoleum took 13 years to complete, and with the cost of rupees one lakh.
The mausoleum has two gates of teakwood inlaid with marble work. The door frames are marble screens with a monogram of the the poet’s name cut in the center.

Of all the historical monuments in Lahore, Badshahi Masjid of Aurangzeb is the most striking in its simplic'ty, solidity, sublimity and splendour. It is modelled on the lines of the Al-Walid Masjid at Damascus and is one of the largest mosques of the world. It is the work of a great Muslim king, a masterpiece of impressive grandeur and overpowering majesty
It is built of red sandstone inlaid with marble.
A tablet of white marble on the outer gateway bears the inscription that the mosque was constructed by Aurangzed and completed under the supervision of Fidai Khan the Governor of the Punjab in 1673/74 A.D.
At the end of the gateway is the courtyard which is a vast quadrangle measuring 430 fu by 527 ft. The courtyard is paved and divided into prayer seats, each seat being decorated by a black marble border.
In the centre of the courtyard is a beautiful reservoir for the purposes of ablutions. Arcaded cloisters are in the northern and southern sectors of the courtyard.

Masjid Shab Bhar is situated on the Circular Road outside Shah Alam Gate there is a beautiful mosque built of white marble & red sandstone. The mosque proper is on the upper storey while there are shops on the ground floor. In the early twenties there used to be a platform here which was used by the Muslims for prayers. In the vicinity a Hindu temple was constructed and the Muslims also thought of constructing a mosque.
One night in May 1922 some enthusiastic. Muslims raised the structure of a mosque during one night. This mosque came to be known as 'One Night Mosque'
• About this mosque Allama Iqbal our national poet wrote:

"Those fired with faith constructed the mosque during one night;

The mind is sinful; it could not become a devotee during years."
The mosque being unauthorised was demolished. Later in 1934 the mosque in the present shape was constructed by Anjuman Islamia with the sanction of the Municipal Committee.

It was constructed during the British Period, Delhi or Dehli Gate is one of the few extant gateways. Its architectural character is of the same vintage as Lawrence & Montgomery Halls (1861-66) in Lawrence Gardens.
The deep, lofty 2-storey archway, well set back from Circular Road, presents its neo-classical facade, including pilasters, pedimented windows and decorative roof balustrading. Several attached rooms were originally utilized as magistrate's court and police offices-no doubt designed to keep the unruly natives in check! When Akbar built it, the gate was the most important of gates, facing as it did towards Dehli, the Mughal capital.

After entering the Dehli Gate, reconstructed during the British Period, to your left (southwest) you will find the recently refurbished Wazir Khan's hammam, known as Shahi Hammam. Hammams (or public baths) were introduced into the subcontinent by the Mughals, and this is among the rare examples of this building type that are now extant.
It was built in 1635 AD during the period of Shah Jahan by his governor Wazir Khan.

It leads from Delhi/Dehli gate to Lahore Fort and mostly all famous historical buildings are situated on this Royal route.

It is most famous decorated street of old town/walled city. Hakim Surjan Singh used to live his during Sikh empire who treated many members of Royal family. There is also another famous narrowest ‘Elbow Street’ adjacent to this street. There are also some good tea stops and one restaurant.

This was built during the Sikh period by a famous Hindu Dewan Dina Nath. It was famous due to its sweet and good quality of water. It is situated near white gate & Wazir Khan Mosque.

Masjid Wazir Khan situated in the centre of the walled city was built by Nawab Wazir Khan in 1634/35 A.D, when he was the viceroy/governor of the Punjab. According to tradition he had cured Noor Jahan of a malady in the foot, and was richly rewarded. With these gifts he built the mosque.
The real name of Nawab Wazir Khan was Ilm-ud-Din Ansari.
He belonged to Chiniot city that is famous for wood work.
He held the command of 7000 and the title of Wazir Khan was conferred on him. He was the Viceroy of the Punjab from 1632 to 1639 under Shah Jahan.
Besides the Masjid Wazir Khan he constructed another mosque close to Taxali gate which was a fine specimen of glazed pottery.
He also built a 'baradari' and a garden at the site where the Punjab Public Library is situated to-day. The baradar with the arches was a picturesque and elegant structure. The garden was known as 'Nakhlia Bagh', and was conspicuous for its date trees.

Returning to the G.T. Road and proceeding east you will be able to reach the most spectacular of Mughal gardens-Shalamar or Bagh-e-Farah Bakhsh (pleasure-giving) and Bagh-e-Faiz Bakhsh (bountiful) of the Mughal chronicles.
Gardens have been an integral part of Mughal royal life ever since Babur, the founder, laid out the first gardens on the bank of the Jamna. It was an attempt to recreate a Chaghatai world of his beloved Kabul-"in spring a heaven" —in a newly conquered Hindustan, which Babur, in his remarkable Baburnama, referred to as"a country of few charms" with no running waters in the gardens, nor any charm in the residences nor hawa (air), regularity or symmetry.
It was laid out during Shah Jahan’s period in 1642 AD.

It is 23km away from Lahore Pakistani Punjab & 27km from Amritsar Indian Punjab.