organized around six eras of Lahore history and architecture. The walks are free, fun, and easy to follow. We’ll help you explore the city of Lahore, and its many layers of history, at your own pace.
Lahore walled-city is widely believed to be the one of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back 1000 BC. Its location and persistence have made the city a nexus for civilizations come and gone
The Walled City was bestowed with numerous monuments during the Mughal era, with some of Lahore’s most iconic structures being located in the Walled City, such as the lavishly decorated Wazir Khan Mosque, the massive Badshahi Mosque, and the Shahi Hammam.
Remember Rangoon city in Mayamar ? where he last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar was sent to on an exile till death and his entire family (including his two sons and grandson) was executed at the Khooni Darwaza also known as Lal Darwaza in Delhi.
Do not insist if a shopkeeper doesn't accept money from you for buying stuff, this is his pride.
Shaking hands is the way locals show respect to their guests. People are delighted to welcome foreigners.
You may want to walk here to learn something specific: a new language, a new cuisine, aspects of a different culture, or a deeper appreciation of faith or spirituality. You are free to go any where, people here would come to you for small talk or they might even ask for a selfie. This is how they try to show their hospitality
Surely your quest would be asking for more if you have visited through world’s best known walled cities such as Dubrovnik ( Croatia ), The Pink City in Jaipur ( India ), Ávila ( Spain ). Think of your walk through Byzantines structure built by Romans in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
Let’s not forget the fascinating Taroudant Souss Valley, with the best preserved city walls in Morocco. The “Grandmother of Marrakech” constructed in the 16th century under the Saadi Dynasty.
Adding more to your history walks, you would be interested to pass through Lahore walled-city that is widely believed to be the one of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back 1000 BC.
3 hours
4KM
04:00pm start
Tuktuk ride
walk
Dinner
Your history walk kicks off from here. Delhi gate is the one of the six that have stood the test of times.
It was originally built during the Mughal period The gate was named after Delhi since the gate opened east, in the general direction of that city. During the Mughal era, the gate served as the main gateway to Lahore, and its doors were shut every evening.
Walking through the enormous entrance, you would feel overwhelmed with all the history and culture it seemed to radiate. Built by Emperor Akbar, the gate opens eastward in the direction of Delhi, hence the name.
If its bricked walls and archways could speak, they’d tell you the tales of love and glory, of war and peace, of betrayal and loyalty and a million different tales of the times when kings walked this part of the world in all their grandeur.
Ever tried Turkish Hammam ? The ultimate wellness ritual of purification that has been around for centuries.
The Hamam is the only surviving public bath from the Mughal era in Pakistan. The single-story structure is spread over 1,110 square feet and was built using brick tiles and limestone cement. It contains the world’s largest Mughal fresco painting.
Do
not ask for the bath as it was abandoned after Mughals departed
Built in 1634, The Shahi Hammam is the only monumental building in Pakistan which represents the Central Asian/Turkish/Irani tradition of public hot baths. It was designed as a public bathhouse to service both the visiting travelers as well as the inhabitants of the city.
On the pattern of Turkish and Iranian bathing establishments of its time (which consisted of hot, warm and cool plunges, sweat rooms and related facilities), the Hammam is a collection of 21 inter-connected rooms offering all the facilities found in a public bath.
Walk a little through Delhi gate, you would observe towering minaret of the Wazir Khan Mosque, the magnificent artwork to catch your eyes. Built by Wazir Khan in 1634, this mosque served as the Imperial Jamia Masjid for the imperial family's congregational prayers, during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan and until the construction of Badshahi Mosque in 1673.
The glorious Wazir Khan Mosque stands near the Delhi gate of the walled inner city of Lahore. The way in leads through a buzzing bazaar, where the sounds of car horns and haggling voices rise high above the mosque’s walls.
Take you shoes Off – give a respect to holy place – in return, you will get tranquility.
The Wazir Khan Mosque contains some of the finest examples of mosaic tile work from the Mughal period. Masterful calligraphy verses from the Holy Koran adorn the walls alongside Persian poetry in its elegant forms. Floral designs and patterns emerge in symmetrical, harmonious waves, bringing a sense of tranquility to the mosque’s echoing halls.
The interior decorative style is unique for Mughal-era mosques, as it combines imperial Mughal elements with local Punjabi decorative styles
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Narrow, curly, tiny, tangled and strange streets which lead you to huge bazaars and famous chowks. It is indeed true and to believe this you need to experience it. The streets of the walled city are unusual, and if you enter in one, it will lead you to another gate without letting you feel the length you have walked.
While roaming around you will find these streets are changing their tracks and widths. These were built so in order to dwindle and affect the speed of the attackers. Whenever the enemies tried attacking the city they would start reducing in number because of the structure of this labyrinth, the maze like network of narrow widening streets.
Interested to know, that streets were built so for defensive purposes, and any attackers would lose their way in case of attacking the city for reaching the fort. The Mughals and later the Sikhs developed most of the residential areas of the walled city.
The narrow and blind turnings confuse you and there are a lot of possibilities of losing the track. That is why, to experience the walled city, one has to have a map or a native along in order to reach the right place and location.
While walking, you would reach a street where your elbows would be touching the side walls and you will be amazed that how people are living there, because two people, coming in opposite directions, cannot pass through that street whereas it also has several houses and the residents are happily living inside that street. This is the Gali (street) Surjan Singh and an off shoot of the street Gali Gubarchian is about less than a meter wide and the complex of these streets is called Koocha Charakh Garan.
Quote by famous Pakistani writer;
“ The street is such a narrow, that If a man enters from one side and a woman from other; there is no option left but to fall in love with each other”
This street is located inside the famous Delhi Gate, built by Akbar the Great in 1566. As you enter from Delhi Gate, it is the third street on your right. While walking in this street, you will see the open windows of the houses, television turned on full volume and ladies of the houses gossiping or scolding their children in a very traditional manner which we would hardly find anywhere else in greater Lahore now. This is our culture and heritage and despite many changes with the passage of time, walled city’s culture hasn’t changed.
This street was named after Hakim Surjan Singh, the 19th century physician who lived there. Surjan Singh was a known physician in that era and was respected by the people. He had cured many royals and that is why the street was named after him
Built in the 18th century by a Sikh commanding general and used as his house. Part of the haveli acted as an ammunition depot and part was used as a residence. This was the norm at that time to keep ammunition at the commanding officer's house.
At that time it was the biggest depot outside of Lahore Fort and faced the Fort directly. This is the reason it was named "Barood Khana" meaning place ammunition depot.
The roof of the haveli is made up of wooden planks. Considering the hot temperature of Lahore, the haveli has high ceilings. Around 1901,
A room was called Sheesh Mahal (glass palace) because the room had glass work done in it. During the Sikh era, a prayer room was built for the Sikh holy book, Granth Sahib. The room also has murals of the Sikh general fighting demons
The shrine is located along the Shahi Guzargah, or "Royal Passage" that began at Delhi Gate, and terminated at the Lahore Fort. Guru Ram Das was born in the Chuna Mandi Bazaar of Lahore in 1534 CE.
Your
next point to reach is The Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das (gurdwara) that
is located in the Chuna Mandi Bazaar in the walled city near the
Lahore Fort and Begum Shahi Mosque. The gurdwara was built atop the
site traditionally believed to be the location of the birthplace and
childhood home of Guru Ram Das, the 4th Sikh gurus.
You
need to show respect in the gurdwara by bowing the head to the ground
in the presence of the Guru, covering the head, removing shoes to
enter the presence of the Guru, sprinkling water ahead of the shrine.
Guru Ram Das is best known as the founder of the holy city of Amritsar, previously known as Ramdaspur. The guru then designed the gurdwara Harmandir Sahib which translates as "The Abode of God"
Y our walk ends here with a Mughal Cuisine. Sitting on roof top with breathtaking view of Badshah Mosque on the back having Muglai dinning experience is dream of the foodies. Stretching over 1.2 kilometers, New Fort Food Street Lahore includes 25 heritage buildings renovated to their former glory and forming the backdrop for some of Lahore’s favorite desi cuisine.
Royal’s Food Street hosts some of the best restaurants in Lahore , and this includes both taste and location. Enhancing the shahi experience are the horse-pulled buggies that transport visitors from the designated parking areas to their restaurant of choice on the Street.
Traces of Mughlai cuisine can also be found in the Indian cities of Bhopal and Hyderabad where Central Asian cuisine largely influenced its flavors
Mughal Empire could variously identify themselves as Turani (Turkic), Irani (Persian), Shaikhzada (Indian Muslim) and Hindu Rajput, the empire itself was Indo-Persian, having a hybridized, pluralistic Persianate culture. Decorated Indo-Persian cookbooks and culinary manuscripts adorned the personal libraries of the Mughal elite, serving as both culinary guides and for aesthetic value
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