‘WCLA to continue conservation of heritage sites’

LAHORE

The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) will continue conservation of important heritage sites in the walled city on the pattern of Shahi Hammam, which recently got international award of merit under the head “The Conservation of the 17th Century,” by Unesco. 

Shahi Hammam was conserved with the technical help of The Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP) while financial support for the project was given by the Royal Norwegian Embassy (RNE), said Tanya Qureshi, a senior Walled City of Lahore Authority official in a press conference held at Shahi Hammam, inside Delhi Gate on Thursday. 

“The primary objectives of the conservation effort were to re-establish the monument as a bathhouse through the exposure, conservation and display of the remains of the original waterworks, drainage and hypocaust system through archaeological excavation, structural consolidation and restoration of the historic floor levels,” she said. 

She revealed that a total of 13 winning projects from six countries – Australia, China, India, Iran, Japan and Pakistan – have been recognised in this year’s heritage awards. A panel of international conservation experts met in Bangkok to review the 40 heritage awards entries, and observed the following about the Shahi Hammam project: “Undertaken with a high degree of technical proficiency, the restoration of Shahi Hammam has safeguarded a unique example of the monumental 17th-century Mughal public bathhouse”. 

She added that the team of international and local experts and artisans adeptly addressed the issues of significant structural damage and loss of fabric resulting from inappropriate alterations, poor conservation work and encroachment. 

Salman Beig, Chief Executive Officer Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, said Shahi Hammam was the first example of a monument conservation of its kind in Punjab and was evidence of the success of the partnership between AKCSP and Walled City of Lahore Authority.

He added that the project paved way for similar monumental conservation in other parts of the walled city, like the rehabilitation of the Chowk Wazir Khan and preparatory documentation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Lahore Fort, both these projects are being carried out with financial assistance from the US and Norwegian Embassies in Pakistan.

Walled City of Lahore Authority director general in his statement said the project has brought pride to the walled city and Pakistan. “I think this is a great source of encouragement for the team who has worked on the conservation of the Shahi Hammam,” he said, adding it will also be a model for other monument projects in Pakistan.