LAHORE; The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has launched a guided tour of the Lahore Fort in which the hidden spaces of the Fort which were closed to the public have been opened and the tourists can see them with a trained tour guide of WCLA.
According to the WCLA on Monday, this is a monthly guided tour and places inside Lahore Fort like Arzgah, Kala Burj, Akbari Gate, Akbari Hammam, Kharak Singh Haveli with rooftop views, Akbari Mahal, Sheesh Mahal attic rooms, Ranjeet Singh’s last living room, British barracks/jails, Mughal era water channels, the mysterious grave in the basement, torture cells near the Royal Kitchens, Zanana Masjid, Naag Temple, Summer Palace and Daulat Khana Khas-o-Aam have been opened for the public for the first time in this tour.
It is important to mention here that spaces like Arz Gah, torture cells, Daulat Khana Khaas-o-Aam, rooftop rooms of Sheesh Mahal and many more were closed to the public for many years and needed restoration. The WCLA said that these have been opened up after restoration for the safety of the tourists.
Commenting on the tour, WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that he had always wished that there was more to see in Lahore Fort, and thus they opened up those sites for the tourists that were hidden from the eyes and minds of the people. Fortunately, this tour has been a success and on public demand they launched this tour so that the hidden spaces could be explored, he added.
Deputy Director Tourism Asgar Hussain said these places were only open for the public on this tour; their guides need to accompany the tourists to these sites, as they are old, horrifying and new to the people. “People can easily be lost in these spaces, therefore taking strict measures and precautions for the tourists’ safety, WCLA is conducting this tour,” he added.
Director Marketing and Tourism WCLA Tania Qureshi explained that these places have been locked for decades. “Some were locked for no reason and some needed conservation and rehabilitation. The WCLA has restored several places in Lahore Fort and thus we decided to launch a guided tour of these places for the public. This will be a monthly tour and the first tour has already been conducted by WCLA,” she said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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