Cypress Tomb, also known as Saruwala Maqbara (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
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Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

, Pakistan

Background

Cypresses, tomb of Sharf ul Nisa, Lahore

This structure houses the tomb of Sharf-un-Nisa Begam, sister of Nawab Zakariya Khan, the governor of Lahore province during the reign of

Mughal emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Muhammad Shah Rangeela Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...

, built in the eighteenth century. It is located near to the north of the

Tomb of Dai Anga , image = , location= Lahore, Punjab Pakistan , designer = , type = Mausoleum , material = brick and marble , length = , width = , height = , begin = , complete = Gat ...

, and east of the

Grand Trunk Road The Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sarak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sarak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. ...

in the

Begampura Begampura is a neighbourhood in the Lahore District in Punjab, Pakistan. It is located near G.T road Lahore. The University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore is located in Begampura. There are a number of mosques and graveyards adjoining Beg ...

neighbourhood of Lahore, Pakistan.

History

The structure was built during 1735—1740 C.E., and was used by Sharf-un-Nisa Begam as a meditation chamber during her lifetime. Sharf-un-Nisa Begam had the structure constructed as a place for her to read the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

in the mornings. She climbed up and descended from the structure by means of a wooden ladder. After the death, the meditation chamber was converted into her tomb, so that even in death, she could remain in

purdah Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of female seclusion prevalent among some Muslim and Hindu communities. It takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes and the requirement that wom ...

and out of view of unrelated men. The building came to be known locally as the Cypress tomb, on account of the tile motifs depicting

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

trees, alongside other floral motifs used on the tiles on the exterior walls. The tomb was originally surrounded by a garden and pool, which likely abutted the garden which once surrounded the nearby

Tomb of Dai Anga , image = , location= Lahore, Punjab Pakistan , designer = , type = Mausoleum , material = brick and marble , length = , width = , height = , begin = , complete = Gat ...

. The tomb was one of the last notable structures of the late Mughal era. During Sikh rule in the 18th century, it was believed that the tomb contained treasure, and so Sharf-un-Nisa Begam's Quran and sword were both plundered and the tomb desecrated. As new buildings have been constructed around the area, it has become difficult to access the tomb. It was initially surrounded by gardens, but because of the houses built on them, a "small garden" exists today in which the local boys play cricket.

Architecture

Historian Catherine Blanshard Asher, describes the tomb as "Lahore's best preserved monument from the post-Aurangzeb period". It is a "unique structure" as it is like a tapering tower with a "pyramidal vault". The exterior walls of the tomb are covered with

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

tiles, whose colours are much fainter than other buildings where similar tiles have been used. The lower part of the walls contains white and blue tiles imported from western Europe. The mosaic tiles are set in a plaster base. The structure has an elevated platform, so that Sharf-un-Nisa Begam could remain in

even after death. The use of glazed tiles is not unique in Lahore architecture, but the "stiff, rigid quality" of the design of these separates it from other buildings in the city.

Conservation

The tomb is listed on the Protected Heritage Monuments of the Archaeology Department of Punjab.

Gallery

File:Bronze Art of Cypress trees on the tomb - Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa.jpg, A well-preserved portion of the tomb's exterior File:Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa with plaque.jpg, Tomb with plaque File:Entrance gate (situated on upper building) - Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa.jpg, Elevated entrance to the chamber

References

External links

{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan Architecture of Lahore Buildings and structures in Lahore Mughal tombs Mughal gardens in Pakistan Persian gardens in Pakistan Tourist attractions in Lahore