Holiday in Pakistan (4): more of Lahore
On Tuesday and still in Lahore, again we left our hotel at 9 am.
We should have started with a visit to the Lahore Museum which is the oldest in the country and the greatest repository of the history and culture of Pakistan. It was first established in 1864 and moved to its present premises in 1894. One of the early and most famous curators of the museum was John Lockwood Kipling, the father of Rudyard Kipling. But the museum was closed because of the end of Ramadan.
However, we did look at the building next door which was the original location of the museum. There was an exhibition of posters and art protesting at Indian occupation of the disputed territory of Kashmir.
We then moved on to the Lahore Fort or Shahi Qila which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was Inhabited for millennia, destroyed by the Mongols in 1241, and rebuilt several times over the centuries, the present design tracing its origins to 1575, when the Mughal Emperor Akbar occupied the site, guarding the northwest frontier of the empire. The highlight of the location is the beautiful Hall of Mirrors or Sheesh Mahal.
Next stop and next door was the Royal Mosque or Badshani Mosque, the largest from the Mughal-era, located on the outskirts of the Walled City. Constructed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb between 1671 and 1673, it is constructed of red brick with wide courtyards and eight minarets. The design is relatively plain and renovation is needed.
After a couple of hours back at the hotel for a leisurely lunch, we were out again from 3.30 to 9 pm. Throughout all out time in Lahore, the temperature was in the mid 30s C.
It was a fascination afternoon. First stop was the Wazir Khan Hammam or Royal Baths, a 17th century Persian bathhouse presently under repair. Next was the Wazir Khan Mosque, the most beautiful in the city. It was completed in 1641 and made with glazed tiles in the Kashi-Kari style.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent traversing the Delhi Gate Market, a long, narrow and noisy street lined totally with open-fronted stores selling absolutely. In spite of the small width of the street, motorbikes – carrying families and friends, sometimes as many as four passengers including small children
– thronged the passage way, proceeding in both directions. It was madness but utterly joyous and everyone wanted to to great us and even be photographed by or with us.
The five of us plus our guide crammed into a tut-tut for our final destination: dinner at one of Lahore’s finest restaurants, the “Andaz”, overlooking the illuminated Badshahi Mosque.