Meet the young Pakistani’s conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore

Restoration of the 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City, Punjab, Pakistan.

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Sumera Murtaza, 27 – “I came to work on this project to give something back to the community. I think we can learn techniques from this wall, which we can apply to today’s architecture. The techniques the Mughal’s used can help us create an architecture with very little environmental impact. Our heritage gives us a sense of identity. We own this thing and we want to keep it alive.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Zeina Naseer, 25 - “It is really important for future generations to have a cultural awareness of their past. I don’t think the past or the present can be understood unless you contextualise it with respect to the past, especially if your past is so beautiful. The Mughal heritage we have is the pinnacle of our artistic and intellectual development. To bring that back, to remember that and to have a tangible physical embodiment of that past is really important for people to remember. It is a loud reminder of what we have lost.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Emaan Shaikh, 28 - “This wall teaches us about how things were once, that India and Pakistan were together, how the religions once existed and now there are so many divisions around religion. Knowing this adds to your knowledge and helps you to grow as a person. If a temple and mosque could live side by side then why can’t we in this day and age live side by side?”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Hussein Ali, 24 - “This work is important because the past is important. You cannot work for a future until you learn from your past. Preserving the past helps you to understand your history; where you are coming from and where you are going. It is important for us to know our history.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Ali Faraz, 26 - “It is important to bring the attention of local people to their own heritage and the history of their city. The basic intention is to preserve history. These are some of the very important structures of our history and they are in a very deteriorated condition. If we don’t generate awareness about these buildings, how are we going to preserve it for more than another 20 years?”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Maryam Rabi, 31 - “Good conservation efforts do not take place in isolation. They not only involve individual historic buildings, monuments and landmarks, but also their immediate surroundings, and especially the communities that experience them on a day-to-day basis. They increase tourism and contribute to the economic wellbeing of societies. Pakistan has a wealth of historic structures that are underutilised and in dire need of rehabilitation. Only through their restoration and adaptive reuse can they be reintegrated into the urban fabric of the country.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Sobia Salman, 26 - “The Mughals spent so much time to create such a beautiful thing we should conserve it. It is ours, it belongs to us so we should take care of it.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Ifrah Asif, 25 - “In Pakistan, AKTC is the largest organisation working on historical buildings and neighbourhoods so this was a big opportunity for me. When you study historical buildings you learn so much about historical techniques, construction, and design which you can then use in contemporary designs. We have these practical precedents which have been successful so why not learn from them.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Wajeeha Arshad, 27 - “It is really important to keep our heritage intact. Heritage is important as you get to learn about your past and how people used to live.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Fakhir Uddin, 24 - “It’s not just about preserving historic buildings but about preserving the skilled work that has been done in that period. This kind of project builds a community of craftsmen, frescos artists, masons, and other skilled people. This work is important for the people of this country but especially for the skilled people and for the labourers so that they can earn an income.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Adil Khan, 27 - “If we don’t preserve this wall, in fifty years maybe nothing will be here and people will never know about these crafts such as filigree work, tile mosaic work, frescoes which you can’t find elsewhere. It’s important for people to know about the ornamental work of their ancestors.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Khush Ahmad, 28 - “I had seen AKTC’s restoration work of the forts and palaces in the northern areas, you can say these are life-changing projects as they also improved the living standards of the people who live nearby - I believe this is a major objective of conservation.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Haider Ali, 28 - “It is important as for our heritage and culture. This is a world heritage site so we want to protect and promote it.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Maryam Irfan, 23 - “It’s a wall that’s hundreds of years old and thousands of craftsmen have worked on it. There are layers and layers and layers - the Mughals, the Sikhs, the British all added something to the wall and now it’s our turn to work on it. This is all the evidence we have left of a bygone era. To preserve it is a lesson I guess, a reminder that this used to exist.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
Tanveer Johar, 34 - “I’m interested in heritage, I want to conserve the heritage of Pakistan so that younger generations can learn about their history. It is not only important for Pakistan, it is important for the whole world.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
The first phase of restoration of this UNESCO world heritage site - some 50 metres - was completed at the end of March 2019. The remaining 400 metres of this awe-inspiring structure will take a further decade.

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
The 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City has been in a state of decay for over 100 years but thanks to the efforts of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, international donors and the infectious energy of this young team of conservators, the wall is being brought back from the brink.

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Meet the young Pakistani’s conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore

Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan.

The 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City has been in a state of decay for over 100 years but thanks to the efforts of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, international donors and the infectious energy of this young team of conservators, the wall is being brought back from the brink.

The first phase of restoration of this UNESCO world heritage site - some 50 metres - was completed at the end of March 2019 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The remaining 400 metres of this awe-inspiring structure will take a further decade.

In this gallery, we meet the young Pakistanis who are conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore, and hear why they think this work is important.

Restoration of the 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City, Punjab, Pakistan.

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Hussein Ali, 24 - “This work is important because the past is important. You cannot work for a future until you learn from your past. Preserving the past helps you to understand your history; where you are coming from and where you are going. It is important for us to know our history.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Sobia Salman, 26 - “The Mughals spent so much time to create such a beautiful thing we should conserve it. It is ours, it belongs to us so we should take care of it.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Wajeeha Arshad, 27 - “It is really important to keep our heritage intact. Heritage is important as you get to learn about your past and how people used to live.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Khush Ahmad, 28 - “I had seen AKTC’s restoration work of the forts and palaces in the northern areas, you can say these are life-changing projects as they also improved the living standards of the people who live nearby - I believe this is a major objective of conservation.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Haider Ali, 28 - “It is important as for our heritage and culture. This is a world heritage site so we want to protect and promote it.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

Tanveer Johar, 34 - “I’m interested in heritage, I want to conserve the heritage of Pakistan so that younger generations can learn about their history. It is not only important for Pakistan, it is important for the whole world.”

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

The first phase of restoration of this UNESCO world heritage site - some 50 metres - was completed at the end of March 2019. The remaining 400 metres of this awe-inspiring structure will take a further decade.

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer

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