Rehabilitating urban spaces: Renovated Wazir Khan Chowk to open by month-end

The historic monument has been choked by encroachment in recent years.

LAHORE: The newly restored Wazir Khan Chowk, the historic forecourt adjoining the Wazir Khan Mosque, will open by March-end, according to Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan CEO Salman Beg.

The restoration of this historical cultural space was undertaken by the AKCSP in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and has been funded by the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.

In recent years, the Wazir Khan Chowk has been choked by encroachments of makeshift commercial outlets.

The rehabilitation and conservation process of Wazir Khan Chowk began on October 1, 2015.

“The open space has been run over by retail shacks, girded by corrugated steel and thronged by citizens, employing it as a market. As a result, the Shahi Guzargah has lost its only area of respite amidst the narrow trail full of commuters in quick transit,” the AKCSP chief pointed out.

The lack of this space, which was created specifically for the purpose of introducing a sense of openness to the surroundings, reduced its impact.

Salman hopes the clearing out of the chowk and its restoration to something closely resembling its original form will present locals and visitors both with an open vista where they can stop and fully take in the splendour of the surrounding monuments.

“The Shahi Guzargah will now suit the slower-paced attitude of the casual visitor who might want to visit these jewels from the Mughal era in a more leisurely way,” Salman said.

The Wazir Khan Chowk will also be able to resume its historic function as a space for social interaction, where people can meet before prayers, recite religious poetry or peruse handmade religious merchandise sold in the eastern facade’s embedded chambers (hujras).

“As such, the rehabilitation of this public space is a momentous occasion, signifying a milestone in the resurgence of the Shahi Guzargah and the wider context of the Walled City, as a focal point in the itinerary of tourists and locals keen to get a more intimate feel for this historic city,” Salman said.

Immediately adjoining the Wazir Khan Mosque, Wazir Khan Chowk is an area of historical significance and a key component of the Shahi Guzargah, a key thoroughfare of the Walled City.

The historic mosque was commissioned by then Punjab governor Ilmuddin Ansari aka Wazir Khan during the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jehan and was completed between 1634 and 1635, adding another precious stone to the bejewelled trail of the Shahi Guzargah, which also houses the Shahi Hammam.

The Shahi Hammam was also recently restored by the AKCSP and WCLA with financial assistance from the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

According to Salman, the Guzargah has the potential to once again be the centre point of Lahore’s cultural heritage.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2017.