s a keen student of history, inclined towards art, design and architecture, my earliest and foremost memories are associated with the old city of Lahore, going back to the late 1990s when I was studying at the prestigious National College of Arts (NCA). Later, when I bought my first professional camera, for my photography elective, I innately developed an interest in exploring the hustle-bustle, bazaars, trails and Mughal and Sikh monumental architecture in the vicinity of the thirteen gates of old Lahore. The Mall and the neighbouring areas were other destinations for photographing the buildings from the British Raj times. Since then, the innumerable expeditions to the Walled City with like-minded friends have never stopped. However, much later in my teaching career, I developed a habit of reading texts that explain the historical importance of art and architecture beyond just a visual reference.

A significant trend in tourism started when the historic Lahore Fort became a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) world heritage site in 1981, along with some other sites. Subsequently it also made to the list for restoration and conservation from an archaeological perspective. However, the early 2000s saw a drastic drop in this tendency due to terrorist attacks across the country. After things got a bit under control, tourists from abroad once again began visiting it. Everyone again began enjoying the intriguing features of the novel streets, authentically enticing cuisine and magnificent monuments. Following several successful projects, the Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA) became an autonomous dedicated body in 2012 to identify and confirm the authenticity of heritage sites; conduct master planning for conservation and restoration; develop infrastructure to preserve; provide adequate access through streets, roads, safe water, sewerage pipelines, and related electricity and communication networks to the sites found to be of significant archaeological importance; in addition to promoting tourism and cultural activities. Shahi Guzargah (Royal Passage), was restored as part of the Walled City of Lahore Authority’s pilot urban conservation and infrastructure improvement project.

The Norwegian and American governments helped during the first phase of the project, which was completed in 2015. Since then, much more has been done, including the conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque and quadrant, the Shahi Hamam, Gali Surjan Singh, Sabeel Wali Gali and the Lahore Fort. Some of the completed projects have been opened for the public. A few are still in the process of further planning, restoration, and conservation in collaboration with the Aga Khan Cultural Network and other organisations.

The Lahore Fort was historically known for its extravagant evening celebrations. The very first of these celebrations occurred during Shah Jehan’s reign. Held at the Fort in the presence of royalty, nobility and guests from all over the sub-continent, these festivities featured musical and theatrical performances about political intrigue, love affairs and acts of bravery. Lahore Fort remains one of Pakistan’s most notable landmarks.

The WCLA has recently initiated a guided tour known as History by Night for tourists to experience some aspects for this glorious past. When my mamoon (maternal uncle), visiting us from the USA, saw the ad on Facebook, he immediately wanted to try it. So we agreed to go last Saturday. On the day, we reached there before 7pm and bought two reasonably priced tickets. A well-dressed guide with a mini mic attached to a powerful voice amplifier asked our group to gather near him and listen to him closely. First, he introduced himself and gave us pointers to learn thoroughly from this tour. Then, he told us that he knew how to mimic some of the famous people, a skill he wonderfully displayed several times during the two-and-a-half-hour tour.

An experienced tour guide can help you fill the atmosphere with tales from the past. We started with a brief history of the Mughal Empire and the emperors. Then, a uniformed trumpeter in red paid homage to the great historical figures with a brass bugle performance after entering the quadrangle that connects the Badshahi Masjid, the Hazuri Bagh and the Lahore Fort. We began by walking up to Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum, which is made of red sandstone. Iqbal is known as Mufakkir-i-Pakistan (Pakistan’s ideologue) and Shair-i-Mashriq (The Poet of the East). Architect Nawab Zain Yar Jang Bahadur had designed the mausoleum.

The Alamgiri gate is a mammoth structure, symbolic of Pakistan’s visual identity. It is used on state currency notes and postal stamps. Many photographers, filmmakers, and visual artists feature this in their creative endeavours.

After a short silent recital of du , we progressed towards the Badshahi Masjid. This Mughal-era congregational mosque was the largest in the world for hundreds of years. Faisal Mosque was declared the largest in Pakistan in 1986. An official photographer guided all group members to pose for a group photo at the enormous staircase of the beautiful mosque. It was an entirely different outlook as we experienced the quadrant opposing daylight. Next we moved to the Hazuri Bagh, a white-marbled building; with delicate cusped arches supported by fine pillars. It was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler of the Punjab, to celebrate his capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shah Shuja Durrani in 1813. Its construction was completed in 1818. The central area, where Maharaja Ranjit Singh held court, has a mirrored ceiling. The pavilion consisted of two storeys until it was struck by lightning in 1932. A flute player surprised us with his excellent skills, sitting in front of the lit-up architectural marvel— the Hazuri Bagh. The guide then asked us to move towards the most magnificent of the gates of Lahore, known as Alamgiri Gate. This mammoth structure is symbolic of Pakistan’s visual identity and is used on currency notes and postal stamps. Many photographers, filmmakers and visual artists have featured this in their creative endeavours. It has two semi-circular bastions and a lotus petal design adorns its base, which adds a splendid and opulent character to the fortification. The gate is wide enough for several elephants to pass through simultaneously. The entrance is not open for public use and is currently under a tedious process of renewal and preservation. We grouped again and had the official photographer take a photograph.

Further on, we were invited to hop on Rangeela Rickshaws, a local appropriation of an imaginative vehicle design, taking inspiration from an open golf cart, each suitable for six persons, besides the driver. These exciting automobiles moved as a caravan towards the Shah Burj Gate—the principal entrance to the Fort complex. We were briefly stopped by the northern face of the lengthiest mural wall in the world. “This mural adorns the Fort and is the principal reason for the site’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981. The Picture Wall is a 442-metre-long mural spanning the northern and western facades of the Lahore Fort, with an average height of 15 metres. It is adorned with glazed tile and faience mosaics from the Mughal era and embellished brickwork, filigree and frescoes. It runs from Hathi Pol (Elephant Gate) to Jahangir’s Quadrangle. It shows the themes that preoccupied the royal court of the era – battles (human and animal), angels and demons, fairies, dance and music.” I am still in awe of the outcome of a communication design intervention project, city as a living organism, which I conducted as part of our major studio with a companionate co-teacher, Amna Zuberi, in September 2018 with the facilitation of the AKTC and the WCLA. The main objective of this exciting project was to explore the spatial and temporal experiences to re-imagine history as the present. The students wonderfully responded to the multiple creative opportunities, from integrating virtual/ augmented reality-based immersive, sensory and neural experiences to creative ways of finding schematics.

Once we entered the Fort, the overall ambience, drenched with magnetism and magic as the night deepened, added to the surreal quality of the atmosphere. Our first stop on the walk was at Barood Khana — an ammunition depot of the British era, which the WCLA has recently restored and converted into a sophisticated boardroom for high-level conferences and meetings. We saw Moti Masjid from outside before going to the Ath Dara (a pavilion with eight openings) used by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh as his court. Many armed guards were deputed at the entrances and the doorways, representing their presence at the time of imperial courts. These individuals wore Mughal costumes, long over-lapping coats with a sash tied around the waist and pyjama-style pants. They also wore a pagri (turban) on their head to complete the outfit. Afterwards, we attended an awe-inspiring danka performance with a lot of reverberation, resonance and echoes due to the architectural style of the court. We then entered the Sheesh Mahal — The Palace of Mirrors; the ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work of the finest quality. The hall was reserved for the personal use of the imperial family. Another outstanding performance awaited us here, including a tabla and sarangi piece concluding with a performance of Kathak dance by a father-daughter duo.

We then strolled back towards the Royal Kitchens, the final destination before this night tour concluded. The Royal Kitchens were constructed during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. This was where the meals were prepared along with a wide variety of drinks, sweets and appetisers. The kitchen was converted into a food storage room and used as a stable for horses and other animals during the Sikh period. The British converted it into interrogation cells and prisons in 1849. The building was highly dilapidated when it was handed over to the WCLA and the AKTC. The Royal Kitchens are now preserved and have been given a new life. Here we enjoyed a dhamal performance to the beat of dhol; one can hardly curb the urge to move and start dancing.

The glamour and grandeur of experiencing these historical sites at night was something out of this world. Kamran Lashari and the entire team deserve kudos for this magnificent step in the right direction.

The writer is an art/ design critic. He heads the Department of Visual Communication Design at Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore