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Architecture

Facts About Lahore Fort

April 12, 2019 By admin 2 Comments

Lahore Fort was built in the first place in order to have complete control over the city of Lahore and its surrounding area. Although the fort is no longer used for military purposes the city is still a major military stronghold as it borders with India with whom Pakistan has fought a few wars, one of which saw heavy fighting and attacks on Lahore.

Lahore Fort
Author: Guilhem Vellut / (CC BY 2.0)

There have been fortifications in and around Lahore since the Stone Age, with coins found there from the fifth century AD. No one knows the exact date of when the fort was first built but the earliest available records show this was more than 1000 years ago.

Lahore fort is located somewhere in the northern part of the walled city. The walled city consists of older parts of Lahore and has a lot of historical structures, mostly dating back from the Mughal era.

The local population of Lahore have called the fort Shahi Qila for several centuries, a name of combined Punjabi and Urdu origins.

There have been various fortifications where the fort is, most of the earlier forts being either partially destroyed, or completely destroyed when sieges of the city were successful.

Destroyers of previous forts have included the Mongols in 1241, and then the army of Amir Tamir in 1398.

Close up of Lahore Fort
Author: Qaseem Ahmad / (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In the years between sieges, or being attacked the fort had to be repaired to make it harder for the next attackers to take it. For example it was reconstructed under the orders of Ghiyas ud bin Balban in 1267.

By 1432 it had been so badly damaged that the ruler of Kabul, Shaikh Ali ordered urgent repairs.

Those repairs came eleven years after Sultan Mubarak Shah Syed had reconstructed the entire fortification in mud.

The Mughals responsible for building the present incarnation of Lahore Fort noted the strategic importance of the area, and it is still considered to be important down to the present day.

The Lahore Fort was constructed during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who ordered its extensive rebuilding from 1566.

Another beautiful view of the fort
Author: Wasif Malik / (CC BY 2.0)

In terms of architecture it has all the elegance and style normally associated with the Mughals. Whilst it looks elegant Lahore Fort was also designed to be a formidable fortress.

Akbar ordered such features as the royal balcony (Jharoka-e-Darshan) and the Masjidi Gate.

Akbar’s successors, especially Jehangir and Shahjahan added other features to the fort. The former added Doulat Khana-e-Jaghanir(Treasury Room of Jehangir), the latter being responsible for the Shish Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), Khawabgah (Sleeping Quarters), and the Khilwat Khana (Place of Isolation).

Shahjahan even added a mosque in the grounds of the fort, namely the Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, built in 1633.

Moti Mosque, located inside the fort’s premises
Author: Mustafa / (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The fort did not change hands again until 1758, when it was captured by Raghunathrao who led the Maratha forces to victory.

Within several years the Maratha had made way for the city and fort to be ruled by the Bhangi Sikh Dynasty. They in turn were ousted by the Maharaja Ranjit Sigh. Singh and his successors remained in charge until the British invaded the whole of the Punjab in 1849.

After the end of the Mughal empire the British also considered the maintaining of control over the Lahore Fort as important for the security of the Indian Raj.

Shish Mahal in the fort
Author: Omer Wazir / (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The British knew from first hand experience how difficult it was to gain control of this citadel. When the British conquered the fort they found out that the Sikhs had further strengthened the fortress as they had expected conflict with the British. After all they had to do to take control of the fort from the Sikhs, the English rulers knew its strategic importance.

The British controlled Lahore Fort from 1849 through to 1947. They used Lahore as a base for unsuccessful attempts to take control of Afghanistan.

The Fort has been under Pakistan’s control since the country’s independence in 1947.

View from Moti Masjid(Mosque)
Author: Qaseem Ahmad / (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Facts About the BRB Canal: Lahore’s First Line of Defence

February 23, 2019 By admin 6 Comments

Author: Abbas dhothar / (CC BY-SA 4.0)

BRB canal is a long canal running through Lahore, Pakistan. The canal runs along the eastern boundary of Lahore near the border with India. Historically, the canal has significant importance, especially during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Facts About the BRB Canal:

  • BRB is short for Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian.
  • The canal is about 72km long in length with a depth that varies between 14-18 feet.
  • The water in BRB flows with relatively much greater speed than the rest of the canals in the city. Because of this, it’s banned to swim at some places in the canal. There have been incidents of people drowning in the canal because of the fast flowing water.
  • It was built in 1948 voluntarily by the citizens of Lahore on the request of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan.
  • The canal was built as a natural line of defence in case of an attack from india.
  • It is located only 2km away from Pakistan’s border with India.
  • Several bridges were also built over the BRB to allow movement across it.
  • The canal is also known as the Ichogil Canal.
  • During the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Pakistan Army destroyed almost all bridges across the canal. The Army stood guard on the remaining bridges to defend against attacks from the Indian Army.
  • Major Aziz Bhatti, A Pakistani war hero, died fighting near the canal. He was awarded Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military honor of Pakistan.
  • The BRB was part of a major battlefield during the war in which Pakistani forces were successfully able to defend Lahore from an Indian invasion.
  • Several stories of the war have been associated with the BRB.

Although, the canal has not much strategic importance in present times, it’s still remembered for the significant role it played during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Facts About Attock Fort

February 17, 2019 By admin 4 Comments

Attock Fort was raised in 1581 over a period of 2 years and 2 months under the supervision of Khawaja Shams-ud-din on the directive of the Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar. The main purpose of Attock was to guard the passage through the Indus River and defend the Mughal lands from Afghan invasions.

The fort was a military garrison on the western frontiers of the Mughal Empire. It remained under Mughal control up until the end of the 18th century. In 1812 the fort was captured by the Sikhs. It eventually came into British control in 1846. Under British rule the fort defenses were upgraded and it became much stronger. It remained under their control until the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Author: Hassan Ishtiaq (Me)

The fort has 4 gates, namely the Delhi Gate, Mori Gate, Lahori Gate and Kabuli Gate. Delhi Gate is in the center of the fort and links the upper and lower parts of the fort. Mori Gate is the entry point to the upper fort in the east. Lahori Gate is an entry point to the lower part of the fort in the south. The Kabuli Gate is the fort’s gate in the south-east part.

Some Facts About the Fort:

  • The fort is an example of Mughal Architecture and was built from 1581-1583.
  • It played a crucial role during the Afghan-Sikh wars, especially during the Battle of Attock.
  • Attock Fort is about 80km away from the city of Islamabad.
  • The parameter wall of the fort stretches over 1600m.
  • The fort is accessible by the Grand Trunk Road and through a bridge from Peshawar.
  • In 1947 after Pakistan’s creation, the fort became the headquarters of the 7th Division of the Pakistan Army.
  • In 1956, the fort was handed over to the 3rd Commando battalion of the Special Service Group(SSG) called ‘Powindhas’. SSG are the special operations force of the Pakistan Army.
  • The fort was handed over to the 1 Commando ‘Yaldram’ battalion of SSG in 1996.
  • The Yaldram battalion remained at the fort until 1st April 2012 when it was handed over to the 6 Commando or the ‘Al-Samsaam’ battalion of SSG.
  • The Fort remains under the control of the Special Service Group(SSG) of the Pakistan Army.
  • Apart from this, the fort is also quite famous for being the place where Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was imprisoned after the military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.
  • As the fort is a military base, it’s closed to visitors in general. Any unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the base.
Hassan Ishtiaq (Me)

Wazir Khan Mosque Facts

February 15, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

The Wazir Khan Mosque is situated in Lahore, Pakistan. It is accessed easiest by the Delhi gate and located inside the Inner City. It covers an area of 85m x 48m and admired for its beautiful construction and fancy tile work. The Mosque is a popular tourist attraction, attracting visitors that come to offer prayers or to see and admire its unique construction.

Wazir Khan Mosque
Auhtor: Mohsinkhawar / (CC BY-SA 4.0)


Here are a few facts about the Wazir Khan Mosque:

  • Construction of the Mosque started in 1634-1635 AD and took seven years to complete.
  • It has 5 domes and 4 minarets in total, with the highest minaret being 100 feet.
  • The mosque is also featured in a scene of the film “Khuda Ke Liye (For God Sake)”.
  • Besides this, it’s also home to the tomb of Muslim Saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq which lies in the inner courtyard.
  • The mosque also has a ablution tank in the middle of the courtyard where worshipers perform wudu(ablution).
  • The mosque is home to some of the finest tile work from the Mughal period.
  • The west side contains the prayer chamber, divided by large piers into five compartments.
  • The eastern side is home to to a gallery, leading on to a magnificent spiral staircase up to the roof.
  • The Wazir Khan mosque was built by Shaikh llm-ud-din Ansari who later became a physician and governor of Lahore. He become known as Wazir Khan, hence the name of the Wazir Khan mosque.

The Wazir Khan Mosque is a truly wonderful architectural construction. It is said you have to visit and see the mosque in person to fully understand and appreciate it. Constructed entirely from cut and dressed brickwork, embedded in kankar lime with red sandstone in some areas. It is colorful and patterned inside and out, filled with paintings of plants or calligraphy.

Balmoral Castle Facts

February 11, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Originally, the only building on the property was a hunting lodge, built in 1319. In 1390, Sir William Drummond constructed a house to replace the lodge. Since then, the house and property exchanged hands several times. Then in 1847, while on a trip to the area, the cold, rainy weather prompted Queen Victoria’s physician to recommend a stay in Deeside. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arrived for their first visit to the house in 1848. Victoria found the house “small but pretty” and recorded in her diary that “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.”

Balmoral Castle in 2006
Author: JThomas / CC BY-SA 2.0

The couple purchased the property privately in November 1851 for £32,000. In 1853, feeling the original castle was too small, the couple began construction on the current Balmoral Castle. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle was then destroyed. The architect of the current castle was William Smith of Aberdeen. His designs were reviewed and amended by Prince Albert himself. The castle has remained the private property of the royal family since that time.

Here are a few facts about Balmoral Castle:

A painting of the castle in a newspaper from 1897
  • The castle is an example of Scots Baronial architecture. It is made up of two main blocks with a courtyard between. The south-western block contains the main rooms, while the north-eastern block houses the service wings.
  • There is an 80-foot (24m) tall clock tower topped with turrets on the south-east corner.
  • The castle was built from granite quarried on the estate.
  • Additional land and buildings have been adding by the Royal Family since it was first purchased. It now covers an area of about 49,000 acres.
  • The Balmoral Estate is a working estate. It includes grouse moors, forestry and farmland as well as managed herds of deer, cattle and ponies.
  • The Royal Family employs about 50 full-time and 50–100 part-time staff to maintain the working estate.
  • The purchase of a Scottish estate by Victoria and Albert and the adoption of the Scottish architectural style played a key role in influencing the revival of Scottish Highland culture.
  • After Albert’s death, Victoria spent more and more time at Balmoral. During this time, she began to depend on her servant John Brown, a local ghillie or gamekeeper, who became one of her closes companions during her long mourning after Albert’s death.
  • After Victoria’s death the royal family continued to use Balmoral and have periodically made improvements to buildings and the landscape.
  • Since 1987 the castle is shown on the back side of £100 notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The current Queen was in residence at Balmoral at the time of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. Although another castle was used for the film, her private discussions with Prime Minister Tony Blair during that time are dramatized in Stephen Frears’ film “The Queen” (2006).

Facts about Caerlaverock Castle

February 10, 2019 By admin Leave a Comment

Located near Dumfries on the southern coast of Scotland, Caerlaverock Castle offers a window into the Middle Ages, reflecting the battles for Scottish independence from England, as well as battles between the castle’s Catholic owners, the Maxwells, and England’s Protestant rule.

Caerlaverock Castle
Author: Gernot Keller / (CC BY-SA 2.0)
  • Caerlaverock was important to the Scottish realm for its location across the Solway Firth from England.
  • “Caerlaverock” is thought to mean “fort of the skylark.”
  • Before the Caerlaverock castle was erected, the Caerlaverock lands held forts and fortifications that were used in Scotland’s battles against England.
  • The first Caerlaverock Castle was built by Sir John Maxwell after he received the land from King Alexander II of Scotland in 1220 AD. It was one of Scotland’s earliest stone castles. But construction was abandoned. Today, only its foundations and the remains of a wooden enclosure remain.
  • The present Caerlaverock Castle was built by Sir John’s brother, Sir Aymer Maxwell, more than 650 feet north of the first castle. Stone for the castle was quarried when the moat was dug.
  • The present castle is triangular in shape. Although no one knows why it was built in that design.It does seem to have given the castle strength, as well as visual appeal. It features three defensive curtain walls linked by corner towers and a twin-towered gatehouse.
  • At the turn of the 14th century, the Maxwells of Caerlaverock Castle successfully protected the castle and Scotland against King Edward I and his barons.However, in 1312, they lost the castle to King Edward II. Sir Edward Maxwell changed sides, throwing his allegiance to England, and dismantled the fortress. In return, he was allowed to live in the castle. The victory was short-lived as Sir Roger Kirkpatrick won back Caerlaverock for King David II of Scotland.
  • As the Maxwells regained ownership of the castle, Sir Robert Maxwell began rebuilding the war-damaged structure. Over the next 100 years, the gatehouse and additions were built. One of the additions is the Nithsdale Lodging (1630). It features ornate Renaissance stone carvings.
  • In the 1570s, in Catholic-versus-Protestant battles, Caerlaverock Castle was again badly damaged. At the end of the millennium, the 8th Lord John Maxwell again rebuilt damaged portions of the castle. His efforts proved futile, for he was killed in a family feud with the Johnstones of Annandale.
  • In the 17th century, more Catholic-versus-Protestant battles caused more damage to the castle, which has not been repaired or reinhabited in the years since.

Today, Caerlaverock Castle is protected as a landmark on the Caerlaverock National Nature Preserve, where waterfowl and wading birds spend each winter. The castle is a ruin, however, it is open for exploration. Nearby, a tearoom is open daily during the summer and on weekends during the winter. A movie, The Decoy Bride (2011), was filmed at Caerlaverock Castle.

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