LAHORE: A book titled, Picture Wall of Lahore Fort by Dr Kanwal Khalid was launched at the French Centre on Saturday.

This book delves into the history and artistry of the 400-year-old picture wall, one of the world’s largest murals that adorns the fort.

Constructed during the rule of emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan, the wall showcases a vibrant array of frescoes, glazed tile mosaics and filigree work. The art depicts scenes from royal courts, battles and mythical creatures. The wall has undergone significant conservation efforts led by Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan (AKCS-P) in partnership with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) to preserve its historical and artistic value.

The event was moderated by Fabrice Disdier, director of the French Center.

Talking about the book, Dr Khalid said her romance with the picture wall started back in the 1990s when she was a student and she used to think that one day she would write about this wall. She claimed that the picture wall that was constructed during the times of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan was the longest Mosaic Kashi wall in the world with panels that portrayed flora and fauna along with the depiction of human figurines. She said the publication was co-sponsored by the World Bank, Aga Khan Trust for Cultural and PTEGP. This is the second detailed monograph after 104 years. The first one was written by Mr Ph. Vogel in 1920 while the current book was thorough research on narratives of the Mughal era by interpreting the symbols.

Ms Khalid said a detailed study of the picture wall revealed that it was actually an illustrative space of the important people and identifiable animals. “The images depicted are not random or put there by chance but it is a very well-thought-out and planned iconography. Comparison of the imagery with different memoirs divulge that many times the individuals and events narrated in the Mughal write-ups are illustrated on the wall.”

Aisha Khan from the WCLA said the authority took the initiative of restoring the picture wall in 2022. She said Kanwal Khalid had written a marvellous book on the picture.

Khawja Tuaseef, the CEO of Agha Khan Trust for Culture, said the picture wall was the major reason that Lahore Fort was on the world heritage site. He threw light on the details of restoration of the picture wall and hoped that by the end of this year, its restoration would be complete.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2025