Imagine yourself standing in an alley, vibrant with colours and heavily embellished fabrics put out on display. The rich smell of spices thickens in the air, vendors calling customers to their stalls. People dressed up in unique attire, each individual carrying their style, with the flute playing an old folk tune somewhere, with the golden sunlight reflecting off the intricate mirrorwork done on the buildings.
This is how I saw Lahore growing up. It is so much more to me than home; it is a place so rich in history, tradition, art, culture and even architecture that the bustling excitement within the chaos is almost tangible. It has always been so full of commotion and activity that anywhere else might feel dull. And it has been this way for over a millennium. Lahore, also historically known as the “City of Gardens”, has always been the hub of political power, artistic innovations and religious diversity under every empire that has fixed this jewel in their crown, be it the Ghaznavid Empire, the Sikhs, the Mughals or even the British Raj. Each of them left an imprint of their culture on this city, making it a museum of the subcontinent’s history.
Even though Lahore dated back to the 11th century when it served under the Ghaznavid empire, it found its true renaissance and architectural style under the Mughal empire (from 1526 to 1857). When strolling through the old city, the architectural masterpiece built by the Mughal emperors can be an evident sign that Lahore was a grand imperial centre. Emperor Akbar rebuilt the Lahore fort with intricate courtyards and designs, with all sorts of stones and marbles. Following him, Jahangir and Shah Jahan invested more in luxurious mosques and gardens. One of the prime examples is the Shalimar garden, which was later completed in 1642 and represents the classic style of terrace landscaping first introduced in Persia. The Badshahi mosque, on the other hand, built in 1673, was commissioned by Aurangzeb and remains one of the most impressive mosques in the world.
Mughal architecture throughout the city has used elaborate tile work, symmetrical designs, the use of white marble and red sandstone, and a grand showcase of Islamic artistic ideas. After the decline of the Mughal powers, the second buyer took over Lahore under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1799 to 1839, and adapted the Mughal-style monuments for their own purposes. Under Sikh rule, a significant transition occurred from the religious pluralism that was initially practised in Lahore during the Mughal era to a focus on Sikh religious structures and gurdwaras. As Lahore was now home to the Sikh royal family, and while they were residing there, a combination of both the Sikh and Mughal aesthetics could be seen, with Sheesh Mahal being a prime example of the blending.
And eventually, under the British annexation of Punjab in 1849, Lahore had entered a new phase of urban planning and architectural style. The once grandeur of buildings, including haruka-style windows, walls and ceilings decorated with mirror work and expensive jewels and rubies, was now transformed into colonial-style buildings. These Victorian designs can still be seen in the Lahore Museum, Government College University, and Lahore High Court. Even the wide white boulevards, railway lines, and civic institutions were added later, transforming Lahore into a modern administrative hub. Although the history was shared between the British and the Mughals, they still restored many of the Mughal monuments, but often through a colonial lens of heritage management.
But on the other hand, we’re talking about the significance of culture in Lahore. It has been the centre of literature, music, art, and education. The city has been home to some very prominent poets and writers of Urdu literature, such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Allama Iqbal.
The cuisine is evidence of the cultural diversity in itself, ranging from the traditional food and street food found in Gawalmandi to the fine dining restaurants on MM Alam Road. Lahore remains a perfect blend of contemporary and historical lifestyles coexisting with traditions such as Basant and pilgrimage at shrines such as Data Dadbar, still being followed in the streets of the androon shehar. And embodies the change brought by coexisting in every part of it as the city narrates its story by being a mirror of all it has gone through.