LAHORE FORT (SHAHI QILA ) , TOURISM IN PAKISTAN

LAHORE FORT (SHAHI QILA )

Lahore Fort is known as Shahi Qila. It is located in north-western corner of the historical city of Lahore.  Shahi Qila is built in ( 1556-1605 ) by Mughal Emperor Akbar. It is in front of  famous Badshahi Mosque.  Some of the famous sites worth seeing in the Shahi Qila are  Moti Masjid, Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate  and Naulakha Pavilion. The fort is 1,400 feet in length and 1,115 feet in width. The fort was inscribed as a UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ). World Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens in 1981.  Many people and tourist daily visit this park and Shahi Qila  is a great place for history lovers. Presently the administrative control of Lahore Fort and Shalamar Garden  lies  with Punjab Government,  under Archaeology and Tourism Department of Punjab.A reasonable amount was allocated by Punjab Government in the year 2005-6,  for the restoration  and conservation of these two monuments.
                 Fort has two main gates, Akbari Gate and Alamgiri Gate
AKBARI GATE
                Akbari Gate was built by Emperor Akbar in about 1566 A.D.  It was later on called the Masti a corruption of the word in local version Maseet ( transformation in English : Mosque).  The Empress of  Akbar built a mosque  outside this gate in 1614 A.D  that still exists in good condition. The fort of Akbar's time has two gates including Masti Gate. The other gate was later replaced  by Alamgiri Gate in 1673 A.D.
ALAMGIRI GATE
                 Alamgiri Gate build by Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir  (ruled: 1658- 1707 A.D) in 1673 in the west of the fortification wall, it opens in the Hazoori Bagh . It shows a military and pleased blend of strength , grace and grandeur as well. It has two semi - circular bastions decorated with lotus petal designs at the base.
MOTI MASJID
                  It is one of those two mosques built in chaste marble by Emperor Shah Jahan. The second one was built at Agra Fort in 1654 A.D. Aurangzeb also constructed a mosque of  the same type at Red Fort Delhi in 1662 A.D. They are all titled as Pearl Mosque because of their outlook imbued with white marble . The Sikh rulers in  Punjab used the Pearl Mosque at Lahore Fort as treasury and named it as Moti Mandar  ( Pearl Temple)