My Favourite Tourist Destination: The Lahore Fort

Ammara Maqsood | Mandi Bahauddin, Pakistan

My favourite tourist spot is Lahore, for the famous “Shahi Qila”, also known as the Lahore Fort. It is said that “Lahore is Lahore” (Lahore, Lahore hai) and the Lahore Fort is one of the reasons behind this saying. As life is moving towards modernism, the old building of the Lahore Fort gives a strong historical and peaceful vibe in the city.

In terms of its place in history, the Lahore Fort connects us with the Mughal Era. It is a sequence of noble palaces, halls and gardens built by Mughal rulers Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, comparable to and contemporary with the other great Mughal forts at Delhi and Agra in India. It's believed that the site covers some of Lahore's most ancient remains. Unfortunately, it is unknown when exactly the Lahore Fort was originally constructed or by whom, but you can read more about the history behind the Fort's creation and changes made to it over time, here.

I like to visit this site because I am inclined to visit old buildings. In addition, I have really good memories associated with my very first tour of the Lahore Fort so this place is very close to heart.

The entrance of the Lahore Fort is a demonstration of art. It has been divided into various notable structures and monuments that are a brilliant representation of the architectural styles of Mughal Kings from Akbar to Aurangzeb. One most respectable portions of the Fort is the Iqbal Tomb, where Iqbal the Poet of the East is buried. Many people visit to pay their respects to him too. He was one of Pakistan's founding fathers and is known for coming up with the original idea of creating Pakistan.

I have also visited the Lahore Fort with my friends during a university trip and again, I loved the architecture. Those vast courtyards and stairs make you feel like as you are living in era of kings and queens. One can visualize how everything was settled there for royal families. Perhaps the design of some parts can be revised to give a modern look but one can hear the story of royal ages through the old bricks and ancient architecture. The Lahore Fort is a famous tourist destination for the people in Pakistan along with tourists from other parts of the world. Many foreigners also come to visit the Fort and I saw many there during my visit too.

Here are some of pictures from my visit to the Lahore Fort:

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