Lahore Fort, fortified complex in Lahore, Pakistan, comprising mosques and palaces built by Mughal emperors. The fort stands as one of the prime examples of Mughal architecture.
The history of Lahore Fort reaches back into the recesses of Indian history, with excavations at the site suggesting it was inhabited before the conquest of Lahore by Maḥmūd of Ghazna in 1021. The substantial and imposing structure seen today was added to over the centuries, starting most significantly in 1566 when the Mughal emperor Akbar replaced and extended the existing mud-built fort with one of brick masonry and red sandstone. Lahore was an important city in the Mughal Empire, strategically located between the other great Mughal strongholds of Kashmir, Kabul, and Multan. It was also the site of the first Mughal conquests in India, so it was both fitting and necessary for the city to boast a grand and functional fort.
Following Akbar’s initial rebuilding, the successive emperors—Jahāngīr, Shah Jahān, Aurangzeb, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh—greatly enhanced the fortification by adding new and highly decorative buildings. The layout is strictly organized and not dissimilar to that of the Agra Fort, with areas divided into private and public (administrative) sections. The palatial private quarters occupy the northern side and are accessed through the Elephant Gate, while the public areas used by the emperors for state occasions are accessed via the impressive Alamgiri Gateway built by Aurangzeb. The monumental gates, which substantiate the power and prestige of the different emperors, also needed to allow for an elephant carrying members of the royal family to pass through them.
Shah Jahān is remembered for his love of ornate and opulent architecture—he also built the Taj Mahal. The fort’s Hall of Mirrors (Shish Mahal) and white marble Naulakha Pavilion are other examples of his elaborate style. The latter features dazzling mosaics of semiprecious stones (pietra dura) in intricate floral motifs. The Naulakha Pavilion’s name comes from nine lakh, meaning 900,000—which may refer to the number of rupees it cost to build the pavilion or the number of stones used in its mosaic work. Shah Jahān was also the first to build a Mughal mosque inside the fort, again crafted from white marble, which has become a distinctive feature of the fort complex. Lahore Fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.