Shalimar Bagh - شالیمار باغ

This formal, terraced 17th-century Mughal garden is 16 hectares large & surrounded by walls.

Shalimar Gardens, Lahore

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Location : Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Part of Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore

Criteria Cultural: 

Reference 171-002

Inscription 1981 (5th Session)

Coordinates  31°35′09″N 74°22′55″E Coordinates: 31°35′09″N 74°22′55″E

Location of Shalimar Gardens, Lahore in Pakistan

The Shalimar Gardens (Punjabi, Urdu: شالیمار باغ‬‎), sometimes spelt Shalamar Gardens, is a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The gardens date from the period when the Mughal Empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith, and are now one of Pakistan's most popular tourist destinations.

The Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature. Construction of the gardens began in 1641 during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan, and was completed in 1642., In 1981 the Shalimar Gardens were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as they embody Mughal garden design at the apogee of its development.

History

 

 

Inside Shalimar Gardens

 

Shalimar Gardens in 1895

Construction of the gardens began on 12 June 1641, and took 18 months to complete. During the Sikh era, much of the garden's marble was pillaged and used to decorated the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Shalimar Gardens were plundered of much of its marble which was transported to decorate the Ram Bagh Palace in nearby Amritsar, while the gardens' costly agate gate was stripped and sold by Lehna Singh Majithia.

In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub khan because leading Arain Mian family members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan.[citation needed]

The annual Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the gardens until General Ayub Khan forbade it in 1958.