Inside the ancient walled city catching up to the modern world
The sun might be shining outside but, inside the Sheesh Mahal, there are a thousand stars twinkling overhead. My guide, Babar Hussain, slowly waves his torch at the ceiling, which is made from countless tiny mirrors laid at different angles, causing it to light up like the cosmos.
“If you truly love me, you’ll bring me the stars,” he tells his raptured audience, reciting the legendary words from consort Mumtaz Mahal that spurred Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to build the spectacular Hall of Mirrors in 1632.
Lahore Fort and its sprawling grounds.Credit: Adobe
The Sheesh Mahal is a near literal jewel in the crown of Lahore Fort, which features 21 monuments strewn across its ground. Here white marble columns inlaid with jade, lapislazuli and agate cascade to sweeping courtyards. It’s not hard to imagine the emperor’s consorts and children relaxing around the tinkling fountains on a hot summer’s day.
Shah Jahan was just one of many conquerors to live and rule from the fort during the last millennia. Lahore, an ancient city of the Punjab region, was a crucial strategic gateway to the subcontinent, and it witnessed the rise and fall of successive empires ranging from the Mughals to the Sikhs and eventually the British Raj.
During a small group tour of Lahore’s old walled city, part of my two-week expedition across Pakistan with Intrepid Travel, I learn that each new conqueror left their mark. Some expanded the fort and old walled city, helping it to become a thriving metropolis by the 10th century, while others left scars.
Sikh scavengers pried the gems from their marble holdings, leaving behind empty recesses, and the British defiled regal mausoleums by using them as stables. A pair of cannons pointed at the rose-hued Badshahi Mosque, which stands opposite the fort, are an imposing reminder of how the British suppressed Lahori dissidents.
Bustling street life in Lahore.Credit: Getty Images
For a relatively young nation born from the trauma of partition in 1947, Pakistan, current host of the prestigious ICC Champions Trophy of cricket, isn’t dwelling on its past. Everywhere in Lahore there are signs of a nation furiously playing catch up. Moving on from the Sheesh Mahal, Babar leads us past swaths of scaffolding, where teams of conservators are busy at work restoring frescoes and archways, to the Picture Wall, which finished its own restoration earlier this year. The intricate wall features more than 600 decorated recessed panels depicting dramatic scenes like bull fights and elephant rides.
It’s all well and good to see how royalty lived, but to get a true measure of the city we must venture beyond the fort. “Now we are going to walk through the real Lahore, the soul of Lahore,” says Babar as we pass beneath Dehli Gate, one of 13 gateways to the old city.
It turns out the real Lahore is a place of intense industry. Schools and shops jostle for space along crowded streets festooned with colourful bunting and tangled powerlines. Young men wearing traditional jamas and burgundy Adidas jackets zoom past on motorbikes, the tang of benzene mingling with the scent of raw tobacco, fennel seed and cumin piled high on market tables. Tool shops glow with sparks as grinding wheels scream into action. Jovial salesmen invite me to inspect their sequined saris and Mickey Mouse backpacks.
A street scene outside the Wazir Khan, built in the 17th century as a bathing temple.Credit: iStock
Through the chaos, Babar leads us to the 17th-century Wazir Khan Hammam. Inside, I’m surprised to find the interlinking bathing chambers filled with contemporary art, from sculptures to light projections – and even a plastic bathtub bubbling with black goo.
It’s all part of Lahore’s artistic biennale, its third since the city officially joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in November 2019. The cultural exhibition showcases work from 60 artists across dozens of gardens and historic sites.
Walking among the displays, which includes a black wooden boat flailing in a stormy sea of Stryofoam packaging, I catch a glimpse of Lahore as an artistic city striving to stamp its mark on the modern world, just as Emperor Shah Jahan did centuries ago.
THE DETAILS
TOUR
Intrepid Travel runs small group tours in Pakistan, including a 15-day Pakistan expedition, with four days in Lahore. From $5995, including a guide, transport, accommodation and most meals. See intrepidtravel.com
FLY
Emirates, Etihad and Qatar fly from Melbourne and Sydney to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, with stopovers in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. See etihad.com, emirates.com, qatarairways.com
SAFETY
The Australian government’s Smart Traveller website currently recommends you “Reconsider your need to travel” to Pakistan due the “unpredictable” security situation. Check with your travel insurer to ensure you’re covered if visiting the country. See smartraveller.gov.au
The writer was a guest of Intrepid Travel.
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