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The Tomb of Nur Jahan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum in
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, that was built for the Mughal empress Nur Jahan. The tomb's marble was plundered during the Sikh era in 18th century for use at the Golden Temple in
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 ...
. The red
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...
mausoleum, along with the nearby
tomb of Jahangir The Tomb of Jahangir ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous ...
,
tomb of Asif Khan The Tomb of Asif Khan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Shahdara Bagh, in the city of Lahore, Punjab. It was built for the Mughal statesman Mirza Abul Hassan Jah, who was titled ''Asif Khan''. Asif Khan was brother of Nur Jahan, an ...
, and
Akbari Sarai The Akbari Sarai ( ur, ) is a large caravan inn (''"sarai"''), located in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Dating from 1637, the ''sarai'' was originally built for travelers, as well as for caretakers of the Tomb of Jahangir. The ''sa ...
, forms part of an ensemble of Mughal monuments in Lahore's Shahdara Bagh.


Location

The mausoleum is located in Shahdara Bagh, across the
River Ravi The Ravi River () is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of five rivers associated with the Punjab region. Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers were ...
from
Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
. The tomb is part of an ensemble of nearby monuments, including the
Tomb of Jahangir The Tomb of Jahangir ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous ...
,
Akbari Sarai The Akbari Sarai ( ur, ) is a large caravan inn (''"sarai"''), located in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Dating from 1637, the ''sarai'' was originally built for travelers, as well as for caretakers of the Tomb of Jahangir. The ''sa ...
, as well as the
tomb of Asif Khan The Tomb of Asif Khan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Shahdara Bagh, in the city of Lahore, Punjab. It was built for the Mughal statesman Mirza Abul Hassan Jah, who was titled ''Asif Khan''. Asif Khan was brother of Nur Jahan, an ...
. Nur Jahan's tomb was separated from the other monuments by open fields, which were later interrupted by construction of the Lahore-Peshawar Railway Line during the British era.


Background

Mehr-un-Nissa Mihr-un-Nissa Begum (Persian: مهرالنسا بیگم; 28 September 1661 – 2 April 1706), meaning "Sun among women", was a Mughal princess, the fifth daughter of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and his consort Aurangabadi Mahal. Birth Mihr-un-Nis ...
, bestowed with the title ''Nur Jahan'', meaning "Light of the World," was the fourth child of Asmat Begum and her husband
Mirza Ghiyas Beg Mirza Ghiyas Beg ( fa, مرزا غياث بيگ), also known by his title of I'timad-ud-Daulah ( fa, اعتماد الدوله), was an important Persian official in the Mughal empire, whose children served as wives, mothers, and generals of the ...
, who had both immigrated from
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. She was first married at the age of 17 to a Persian adventurer named Sher Afghan Ali Quli Khan Istajlu, who was renowned for his brilliant military career, and from whom she bore a daughter, Ladli Begum before he died in 1607. Her father served the Mughal emperor
Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
, who bestowed him with the title of ''Itmat-ud-daulah'' ("Pillar of the State"), while her brother Asif Khan served her next husband, the Emperor
Jahangir Nur-ud-Din Muhammad Salim (30 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was the fourth Mughal Emperor, who ruled from 1605 until he died in 1627. He was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti. Ear ...
. Nur Jahan was the most powerful Mughal Empress.


History

Having survived Jahangir by 18 years, she died at the age of 68 years and much of the mausoleum was most probably constructed during her lifetime. The tomb took four years to complete at the cost of
Rupee Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, ...
s three
lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For e ...
s. Following the ascent of
Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...
to the Mughal throne, she was provided a yearly allowance of 200,000 rupees. As with the
Tomb of Asif Khan The Tomb of Asif Khan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Shahdara Bagh, in the city of Lahore, Punjab. It was built for the Mughal statesman Mirza Abul Hassan Jah, who was titled ''Asif Khan''. Asif Khan was brother of Nur Jahan, an ...
, Nur Jahan's tomb was stripped of its ornamental stones and marble during the occupation of Lahore by the army of
Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839), popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab or "Lion of Punjab", was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He ...
. Much of the materials were used to decorated the Golden Temple in
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 ...
. The Shahdara ensemble of monuments, including the Nur Jahan tomb, suffered under British rule when a railway line was built between the tombs of Asif Khan and Nur Jahan. The tomb underwent minor repairs but is slated for major restoration.


Architecture

The tomb was built on a podium, in the ''takhtgah'' style in which the podium serves as the ''takht'', or "throne." With a platform measuring 158 square feet, the tomb is in the shape of a square and measures 124 feet on each side, and is 19.6 feet high. Minarets may previously have risen from the corners of the mausoleum, similar to the nearby
Tomb of Jahangir The Tomb of Jahangir ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous ...
.


Exterior

Unlike her father's tomb ( tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah), which was constructed in white marble, Nur Jahan's mausoleum is primarily
clad Cladding is an outer layer of material covering another. It may refer to the following: * Cladding (boiler), the layer of insulation and outer wrapping around a boiler shell *Cladding (construction), materials applied to the exterior of buildings ...
in red sandstone, with a flat roofline similar to that of her husband's tomb. The exterior features 7 vaulted arches, which were covered with
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
and wrought with flower
mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
s in semi-precious stones. The central arch on each side protrudes out from the 3 flanking vaulted arches. Minute paneling was executed in intricate patterns and cornices are
honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal prismatic wax cells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen. Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey. Honey bees consume about of honey ...
shaped in several rooms. The inner floor is covered with marble and the outer platform with sandstone. The exterior, encased in red sandstone, was inlaid with floral motifs in addition to white, black and yellow marble. Turtle


Interior

The central vaulted chamber of the tomb contains a marble platform with two
cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
s, one that commemorates Nur Jahan and the other to commemorate her daughter,
Ladli Begum Mihr-un-Nissa Begum (Persian: مهرالنسا بیگم; 28 September 1661 – 2 April 1706), meaning "Sun among women", was a Mughal princess, the fifth daughter of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and his consort Aurangabadi Mahal. Birth Mihr-un-Niss ...
. Built by Hakim Ajmal, Khan of Delhi in 1912, the original marble
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Gre ...
bears ornate workmanship and the name of Allah, in the same style and size as seen in the tombs of Jahangir and Asif Khan. On her tomb is inscribed an
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
: "''On the grave of this poor stranger, let there be neither lamp nor rose. Let neither butterfly’s wing burn nor nightingale sing''".


Gardens

The tomb stands in the centre of a Persian-style
Charbagh ''Charbagh'' or ''Chahar Bagh'' ( ''chahār bāgh'', ''chārbāgh'', ''chār bāgh'', meaning "four gardens") is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran. The quad ...
. The original garden no longer survives, but once included tulips, roses, and jasmine.


Gallery

File:-Pakistan- Tomb of Queen Noor Jahan,Shahdara, Near Lahore-By @ibneazhar Sep 2016 (121).jpg, The tomb's façade is decorated with '' pietra dura'' File:-Pakistan- Tomb of Queen Noor Jahan,Shahdara, Near Lahore-By @ibneazhar Sep 2016 (96).jpg File:-Pakistan- Tomb of Queen Noor Jahan,Shahdara, Near Lahore-By @ibneazhar Sep 2016 (95).jpg File:Tomb of Nur Jahan.jpg


See also

*
Tomb of Asif Khan The Tomb of Asif Khan ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Shahdara Bagh, in the city of Lahore, Punjab. It was built for the Mughal statesman Mirza Abul Hassan Jah, who was titled ''Asif Khan''. Asif Khan was brother of Nur Jahan, an ...
*
Tomb of Jahangir The Tomb of Jahangir ( ur, ) is a 17th-century mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River. The site is famous ...
*
Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal The Tomb of Allama Iqbal, or Mazaar-e-Iqbal ( ur, ) is a mausoleum located within the Hazuri Bagh, in the Pakistani city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province. Background Iqbal was one of the major inspirations behind the Pakistan Movement, an ...
* Tomb of Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar * Tomb of Mariam uz-Zamani, resting place of Empress Wali Nimat Mariam uz-Zamani, favorite Queen consort of Emperor Akbar. *
Bibi Ka Maqbara The Bibi Ka Maqbara (English: "Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani ...
, the tomb of
Dilras Banu Begum Dilras Banu Begum (; 1622 – 8 October 1657) was the first wife and chief consort of Emperor Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor. She is also known by her posthumous title, Rabia-ud-Daurani ("Rabia of the Age"). The Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad ...
, consort of Emperor Aurangzeb. * Lal Bangla, the tomb of Lal Kunwar, the mother of Shah Alam II


References

*


External links

{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan , state=expanded Architecture of Lahore Buildings and structures completed in the 17th century Mughal tombs Mughal gardens in Pakistan Mausoleums in Punjab, Pakistan Tombs in Lahore