Samina's Collection - The Walled City

WALLED CITY OF LAHORE

Androon-e-sher is in fact none for being heart of city which is real Lahore. The world city or Androon-e-sher, is located to the south of river Ravi which once flood along the walls of the fort. The world city occupied an area about to square miles, in regular trapezium widening a little on the northern side. In the sarfa bazaar the crafts men are busy producing finest quality of gold and silver ornaments. Its nearly five thousand industrial and nearly ten thousand commercials enter prices provided employment over fifty thousand people. Emperor Akber during stay at Lahore in closed the city brick wall of considerable height and strength in 598 AD. He also founded the palace which during subsequent time was in large by his successor for example Jahangir, Saha Jahan and Orangzeb .

City wall built why Akbar’s Architects fell in to decay after 18 century but then it repaired by Raja Ranjit Singh. During Mughal period the city kept on growing fast and spilt beyond the wall. To manage is properly city was manage it properly city was divided into 36 “Guzar Gahs” or sectors. By the end of Eighteen century its population increased up to half a million.

During the British rule in 1846 its total population was 50 thousand 3 Hundred and 5 people only.

Garden encircled into city except the northern side and became famous as “Goal Bagh”.Access to the walled city was only thought the 13 gates in the past.

1 The Roshnai Gate
It is located in between the Badshahi Mosque and the Fort.

2. Kashmiri Gate

It is named so, because it faces the direction of Kashmir.

3.                  Masti Gate

It is locate in the immediate vicinity of the Mosque Known as Mariam Makami / Zamani, so it was called Masjidi or Masti Gate.

4.                  Khizri Gate



As Khwaja Khizer is the name of the patron Saint of running water and streams as well as the discoverer of the water of immortality (Aab-e-Hayat), according to Muslim belief, Later on it was also called as the “Sheran Wala “gate because Ranjit Singh kept there to pet loins. Hence it came to be known as “Sheran Wala” Gate.

5. The Yakki Gate

Originally it was called “Zaki” Gate due to us vicinity to the to tomb of Saint Zaki so it was named after him.

6. Delhi Gate

It was called so because of

7. Akbari gate

It was named after the Mughal Emperor Akbar who rebuilt the town and the fort. He established a market known as Akbari Mandi even today and business worth millions of rupees is translated in this market daily.

8. The Mochi Gate

Name Seem’s to be the corruption of Moti (Pearl). It was named after Moti Ram, and officer who was the keeper of this gate during Akbar’s time now the gate is famous for political gate rings out side the gate.

9. Shah Almi Gate

It was named after Moazzam shah Alam Bahdur Shah the son and successor of Aurang Zeb. Shah Almi was damaged during 1947 but it was the town, it was only here there that people settled first. A market was also established here which was names Lahore Mandi. By the end of eighteen population increased up to During the British rules population was

10. The Bhatti Gate

Named after Bhaties who lived there once but it is believed that they migrated to Rajasthan. It is today a narrow but long bazaar as well as congested residential area.
In side the gate those is a mansion which is Known as Faqir Khana (the house of Faqir). In fact it’s a treasure house containing 3-4 hundred year’s old art paintings, carvings, manuscripts, old china. Carpets, and innumerable other objects d’art.
Faqir Khana, which is managed by the family of late Syed Mughisudding is one of the largest private museums Pakistan.

11. Taksali Gate

It was named so because there was a Taksal (Royal mint) during the period of Muslim emperors.

12. Mori Gate
It was the smallest of the gate ways and used as an outlet for refuse and sweeping of the city as indicated but its name, during the old days.

13. Lahori Gate

The Lohari or Lahori Gate is located within Walled City of Lahore. Lahori and the bazaar behind it comprise the oldest arterial route in the Walled city built by Akbar the great. Qutbuddin Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Subcontinent is buried just outside this gate. Caravans & travelers coming from Multan used to enter the city form this gate. Behind Lohari gate also, once stood a brick fort called Kacha Kot probably the first fortified city of Lahore founded y Malik Ayyaz.

Among the few city gates which British Government cared to reconstruct, only Lahori Gate retained is original form. During Mughal period, the two famous divisions of the Walled City, namely Guzar Bahar Khan and Guzar Machhi Hatta, were served by this Gate. During the anarchaic rule of the 18^th century, all the city gates, except Lohari Gate & two others were walled up.
Today the old city is over populated but apart from innumerable elements which it contains, it, is, as a whole, a great culture value and historic significance.