The quest for heritage

History remains alive as long as its remembrance continues. Museums serve as a gateway to a different time, and the relics preserved therein reveal stories of a distant past. Together, these relics contribute to the cultural capital. Institutions of various scales play a crucial role in preserving culture. Although their preferences may differ from one another, they ultimately contribute to the preservation of history in various forms.

For many people, a city is merely a place they live in, until they head out. For others, it is a place that resides within them, rather than the other way around. However, for some people, a city can take the form of a beloved, whose remembrance they long to preserve. Lahore, a city with an enchanting history, has such a place in the lives of those who love it to the core of their hearts.

In the heart of the city, there is a house that boasts a private collection comprising some of Lahore’s finest relics. To a casual onlooker, the collection may seem like a compilation of random historical artefacts, but to careful observers, each artefact represents a different stage in the city’s timeline. This place is not a museum and is not open to the public, but it still attracts visitors who want to catch a glimpse of the city that Lahore was.

The brainchild of Tahir Yazdani Malik, the Lahore Heritage Club, as the place came to be known, continues to be the city’s best kept secret. Mr Yazdani, who passed away in 2019, did not set out to be a collector, rather he was an admirer of culture and was deeply in love with the city’s heritage.

“Taking keen interest in Lahore's diverse and rich history and culture, he started collecting artifacts and antiques, which soon took up a portion of his house,” his daughter, Zarafshaan Tahir, tells The Express Tribune.

“Exploring Lahore's nooks and corners was like a pilgrimage to him; he loved meeting new people, establishing roots everywhere, learning about each and every person's ancestral past, and deepening his understanding of the unique traditions of diverse families along the way,” she adds

According to his daughter, it was his passion and deep fascination for the multifaceted city led him to preserve Pakistan's heritage and cultural crafts via this project, primarily via social media.
“He wanted to display the cultures and the history of a city that was slowly being turned into a concrete jungle,” she says.

Mr Yazdani’s efforts precede the formation of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA). While he was still collecting relics in the early 2000s, he created an active community for the preservation of the city’s history and for the dissemination of its cultural knowledge across the globe.

Today, the Lahore Heritage Club serves as an institution and a community of like-minded people who come together for various events to celebrate the city’s culture. Its artefacts are displayed on an entire floor of Mr. Yazdani’s sprawling house. Many visitors have likened the place to a maze, as they navigate through its corridors looking for the crown jewels that are subtly placed here and there.

Mr Yazdani’s children, Zarafshaan, Zareen and Alisher Tahir, run the institute together. They receive hundreds of requests for visits regularly, but due to logistical limitations, only open it to a limited number of guests.

Alisher continues the guided tours the way his father once did. He eagerly welcomes visitors interested in hearing Lahore’s story and guides them through the various sections of the collection. Zarafshaan lead the institute’s efforts to encourage thought-provoking exchanges between people from all walks of life. Zareen, the youngest of the three siblings, is the primary influence behind poetry nights and open mics aimed at young adults.

Mr Yazdani’s legacy continues with his children as the Lahore Heritage Club now explores new avenues to cater to different audiences in the city.
“What he wanted was to make Lahore the cultural hub it once was, which I believe it now is – something that is clearly discernible through LLF (Lahore Literary Festival), Rafi Peer festivals, and small collectives working towards other similar initiatives,” Ms Zarafshaan says.