Tombs of Jahangir, Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai

Lahore is the only city in Pakistan worth spending multiple days in. It was one of the capitals of the Mughals, and it shows it. You can find wonderful treasures even on its outskirts, such as these Mughal-era buildings. They lie in what nowadays is a poor neighbourhood and we met several begging Afghani children outside the gates.

The first impression of this site is great: the striking red monumental gate decorated with pietra dura to enter the Akbari Sarai compound, the Safavid-inspired ‘throned’ mausoleum to the Mughal emperor Jahangir and his ‘tomb’ (actually a cenotaph, his remains are in a crypt underneath) inside which is a masterpiece of marble and precious stones. When you walk to the outer grounds near the other tombs, the state of conservation of it all severely deteriorates both due to contemporary vandalism and earlier destruction. Only a few remaining glazed tiles of once colourful muqarnas can be seen in the domed structures.

Two stories need to be told here: the link with the Taj Mahal and the destruction by the Sikhs.

• One of the tombs (upper photo) is of Asif Khan, who was the father of the person we know as Mumtaz Mahal – emperor Shah Jahan’s wife who is buried in the Taj Mahal. Asif Khan was the Grand Vizier (similar to a prime minister) during the reign of Shah Jahan. Asif Khan was also the brother of Nur Jahan, who was the chief consort of emperor …

Another day in Pakistan and yet another tomb……! But this one is of someone one has heard of - Jahangir, the 4th Mughal emperor. He was the intellectual, artistic, liberal, fun loving one (opium, alcohol and women!). His tomb is set within a complex of gardens called Dilkushan Bagh (= "Garden of Contentment") at Shikura, a short distance outside the Lahore of those days. These had been built by his (20th!!) wife - Nur Jahan – and were used by her and Jahangir's 3rd son (by his 2nd wife), Khurram (who took the name Shah Jahan on succeeding Jahangir after disposing of other contenders), as the site for building Jahangir's mausoleum across the 10 years after his death in 1627.

One notice board at the site claims that “the tomb is a monument of surpassing beauty and the finest ornament of Historical Lahore and is considered the most magnificent Mughal edifice in the Indo-Pak Sub-Continent after the Taj Mahal at Agra”. High praise indeed, and, even if not true, it does show that this is no “run of the mill” monument. This very illuminating “Assessment Report” from Feb 2011 by the Global Heritage Fund contains a nice set of “Statements of Significance” in a form which could well be adopted by UNESCO, including this one - “an elegant and visually stunning representation of Mughal rule, design and symbolism in the language of architecture and landscape”.

So, what is “on show”? Well, …