The Punjab Archaeology Department has announced plans to restore a 400-year-old Mughal-era fort-like palace in Sheikhupura.

According to details, a study will be conducted on the fort, currently in a dilapidated condition, before the restoration work.

The building underwent several structural changes over the years in different time periods with much of the building currently in ruins. Restoration work on the exterior walls is in progress.

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Photo via The Express Tribune

Those involved in the restoration work have also suggested study tours from Lahore to Qila Sheikhupura and Hiran Minar, saying that they can be entertaining as well as informative. Only guided tours will be allowed inside due to the current condition of the fort.

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Spread over an area of more than 64 kanals, the Sheikhupura Fort is perched on a high mound in the south of the city and is a magnificent symbol of the glory of the Mughal era. Experts have suggested that it was not a traditional fort but the residence of Emperor Jahangir, who had a hunting resort nearby.

Photo via The Express Tribune

An official of the Archaeology Department Malik Maqsood Ahmed says the fort was not built for military purposes but as a palace.

The fort was also used as a military base during the Sikh and British eras. After the partition of the Indian sub-continent, a refugee camp was also set up here.

Many  government offices were also built here that resulted in the changes of the building’s structure and badly damaged the original historic look of the building.

Locals of the city say that the fort is the identity of the city. A mechanic who has been working in front of the fort for many years, says that if the government develops a food street after the restoration work in the fort, it will not only grow the business activities but also tourist interest.

Secretary Tourism and Archaeology Ehsan Bhutta said that when the fort was handed over to Punjab Archaeology Department in 2011, it was in a terrible condition.

In 2017, the department initiated a restoration project at the site, which is still continuing. The outer wall of the fort is being restored while the interior portions have been renovated and some benches have fixed there. Display boards with information have been installed at numerous places.