Sheesh Mahal (Lahore
Fort)
"The Palace of Mirrors” is
located within the Shah Burj block in northern-western corner of Lahore Fort.
It was constructed under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1631-32. The
ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work
of the finest quality.
The hall was reserved for personal use by the imperial
family and close aides. It is among the 21 monuments that were built by
successive Mughal emperors inside Lahore Fort, and forms the "jewel in the
Fort’s crown. As part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex.
The Sheesh Mahal was
built by Emperor Shah Jahan. It was built in the middle of Jahangir's rule.
It was built in the middle of Jahangir's
rule. The façade, consisting of five cusped marble arches supported by coupled
columns, opens into the courtyard. The engrailed spandrels and bases are inlaid
with precious stones. The pavilion is in the form of a semi-octagon, and
consists of apartments roofed with gilded cupolas and intricately decorated
with pietra dura and convex glass and mirror mosaic (ayina Kari) with thousands
of small mirrors. The decorative features also include stucco tracery (munabat
Kari) and carved marble screens in geometrical and tendril designs. The roof of
the central hall rises up to two storeys.
The hall was originally decorated
with fresco paintings that were later replaced with glass mosaic in different
colors.
The additional
constructions carried out during the subsequent Sikh and British rules of
Punjab on the top of Sheesh Mahal added to the dead load that made the structure
vulnerable to collapse. In 1904-05, the plaster from the ceiling of main
veranda fell apart, exposing the decay of internal wooden beams and the
corroding roof.
At this stage, the building was listed by the department of
archaeology of British India in 1927 and the repair work was carried out.
Similar problems arose in 1960s and were resolved through minor repairs. In
1975, Sheesh Mahal was listed as a protected monument under the Antiquities Act
by Pakistan's Department of Archaeology whereas in 1981, as part of the larger
Lahore Fort Complex, it became inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It
was not until 2006 that the problems of the ceiling were comprehensively
resolved and the structure was restored.
