The Shrine of Mian Mir (

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

and ur, ) is a 17th-century shrine located in Lahore, Pakistan, that is dedicated to the Sufi mystic

Mian Mir Baba Sain Mir Mohammed Sahib (c. 1550 – 22 August 1635), popularly known as Mian Mir or Miyan Mir, was a famous Sindhi Sufi Muslim saint who resided in Lahore, specifically in the town of ''Dharampura'' (in present-day Pakistan). He was a d ...

. The shrine is one of the most celebrated in Lahore, and has historically been revered by both Muslims and Sikhs.

Location

The tomb is located in the Alam Ganj neighbourhood of the Dharampura municipality, approximately 3 kilometres west of Lahore's

Walled City A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

History

Mian Mir wished to be buried next to his long-time friend Syed Muhammad Natha Shah Gilani. The tomb was built on the orders of Dara Shikoh, and was completed in 1640. Dara Shikoh had previously built a shrine dedicated to ''Mullah Shah'', but intended for the shrine of Mian Mir to more superb. After Dara Shikoh's death, the Mughal Emperor

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

used much of the material collected by Dara Shikoh for the construction of Mian Mir's tomb, and instead used those materials in the construction of Lahore's grand

Badshahi Mosque The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled Ci ...

. The shrine was embellished by the use of precious stones, which were all removed. Ranjit Singh, had the interior of the shrine painted with floral patterns. Ranjit Singh was a pilgrim to the shrine.

Architecture

The tomb is enclosed by a rectangular structure topped by a dome made of gray granite with eaves overhanging the structure known as a ''chajja''. The entire tomb is built upon a raised square plinth made of white marble that measures 54 feet on each edge. The tomb is surrounded by a courtyard made of red sandstone. The tomb itself is accessible from the courtyard by a set of steps made of white marble. The tomb is located in the centre of quadrangle measuring 200 feet on each side. The quadrangle is enclosed by high walls containing numerous small cells that form a cloister around the tomb on the southern and eastern side of the complex that were used by

dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage i ...

es and pilgrims. The western portion of the complex is defined by a mosque constructed of pink sandstone, with five short domes atop it. A pink sandstone gateway leads to the shrine, with a

couplet A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the t ...

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

over the entrance reading:

Associated shrines

Adjacent to the tomb is the tomb of Mian Mir's nephew Muhammed Sharif, who served as the first ''sajjada nashin'', or hereditary caretaker of the shrine. Another tomb, that of Haji Muhammed Saleh, is also located within the shrine complex. The shrine is located immediately west of the tomb of Nadira Begum, wife of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh. The shrine of ''Mullah Shah'' was also built near the shrine.

''Urs'' festival

His death anniversary, known as an ''urs'', is observed there by his devotees every year.

Influence

The nearby

Lahore Cantonment Lahore Cantonment ( ur, ) is a garrison located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Although the cantonment is located within Lahore City District (UC 152), it is an independent municipality under control of the Military Lands & Cantonments Departmen ...

was originally named "Mian Mir Cantonment" in reference to the saint's shrine. The tomb has been used as a focal point to bring together Muslim and Sikhs. The shrine has been suggested to be model for the Golden Temple in nearby

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha ...

Shrine administration

The shrine is managed by an ''

Awqaf A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or ''mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitabl ...

'' committee that consists of influential persons, such as judges and politicians. The committee has also included a Sikh organization, Guru Nanak Ji Mission, in the committee's activities.

Gallery

'Diya'.JPG, Numerous small cubicles are used for burning of oil lamps Mian-mir-tomb-ceiling.JPG, The underside of the shrine's dome is decorated with mirror work known as ''ayina kari''

References

{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan , state=expanded Mughal tombs Architecture of Lahore Buildings and structures in Lahore Tourist attractions in Lahore Mausoleums in Punjab, Pakistan Secularism in Pakistan Sufi shrines in Pakistan