Lahore

The city of Lahore, one of the seats of the Mughal Empire, is regarded as the cultural centre of Pakistan and is famous for its many old monuments. However, the informed visitor or student has long felt the absence of a reliable volume on its architecture. Dr Rahmani’s book is diligently researched and deals with the history and architecture of old monuments in Lahore, especially of the Mughal period. The topic is rich in terms of the variety of building types and covers a period of several centuries. The study has been organized chronologically, highlighting locations, significance, history, architecture, and the current condition of each monument. It also discusses the architectural and aesthetic influences, both foreign and local, and contains a comprehensive statement of achievements of particular epochs. A comparative approach has been adopted to determine the architectural merit of specific monuments. At the end of the book, there is a chapter pertaining to analytical study of monuments in a historical perspective. The old theories regarding origin and nomenclature have been updated in the light of fresh research. The study, based on 33 years of personal observation by the author, also utilizes both published and unpublished sources, and official records.