The Shahi Hammam (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Persian-style bath which was built in

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 Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, in 1635 C.E. during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. It was built by chief physician to the Mughal Court, Ilam-ud-din Ansari, who was widely known as Wazir Khan.Asher, p.225 The baths were built to serve as a ''

waqf 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 charitab ...

'', or endowment, for the maintenance of the

Wazir Khan Mosque ; ''Masjid Wazīr Khān'') is a 17th-century mosque located in the city of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of an ensemble of buildings tha ...

. No longer used as a hammam, the baths were restored between 2013 and 2015 by the

Aga Khan Trust for Culture The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developin ...

and the

Walled City of Lahore Authority The Walled City of Lahore Authority ( ur, ) is a semi-governmental organisation in Lahore, Pakistan, established and funded by the Government of Punjab for the conservation, planning and development, regulation and management of the Walled City ...

, with much of the funding provided by the government of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. The restoration project was given an Award of Merit by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 2016 for the hammam's successful conservation which returned it to its "former prominence."

Location

The Shahi Hammam is located just within the

Walled City of Lahore The Walled City of Lahore ( Punjabi & ur, , ''"Inner City"''), also known as Old City, forms the historic core of Lahore, Pakistan. The city was established around 1000 CE in the western half of the Walled City, which was fortified by a mud w ...

, steps away from the Delhi Gate. The Shahi Hammam is the last remaining Mughal-era hammam in

Background

During the

Mughal era The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

, Persian-style hammams were introduced although they never achieved the same levels of popularity in the Mughal Empire as they did in Persia.

History

The Shahi Hammam was built in 1635 by Ilam-ud-din Ansari, Governor of Lahore, as part of an endowment which included the

. The baths fell into disuse by the 18th century during the decline and fall of the Mughal Empire. From the early British period onwards the building was used for different purposes - as a primary school, dispensary, and recreational centre as well as an office for the local municipality. Additionally, shops were built into the building’s northern, western and southern façades. Excavations as part of restoration works completed in 2015 revealed that substantial parts of the building had previously been demolished, likely to make way for the reconstruction of Delhi Gate building in the 1860s.

Layout

It contains the world's largest Mughal fresco painting

The hammam consisted of three parts: the ''jama khana'' (dressing area), ''nim garm'' (warm baths), and ''garm'' (hot baths). The baths were gender segregated, and contained a reception chamber as well as a small prayer room.

Architecture

In keeping with Persian tradition, the baths were illuminated by sunlight which filtered through several openings in the bath's ceiling which also aided ventilation. Most of the hammam's interior was preserved intact, and several Mughal era frescoes have been preserved. As the façade had few windows, merchant shops were permitted to operate along the hammam's outer walls.

Conservation

The

(AKTC), with funding from the government of

, began restoration works at the baths to conserve the space, restore the original layout of the building, and to uncover and preserve Mughal-era frescoes which decorated the building's walls. Works were completed in 2015, and are the improvements are said to have changed the surroundings "dramatically." In 2016,

awarded the Shahi Hamam restoration project an Award of Merit for its "high degree of technical proficiency" and "for returning the ornate Shahi Hammam to its former prominence." Excavations have unearthed a water heating structure, drainage systems, and under-floor remains of its

hypocaust A hypocaust ( la, hypocaustum) is a system of central heating in a building that produces and circulates hot air below the floor of a room, and may also warm the walls with a series of pipes through which the hot air passes. This air can warm th ...

Gallery

File:Shahi_Hammam_2_(WCLA).jpg, The baths' exterior has been restored File:Shahi_Hammam_8_(WCLA).jpg, The baths feature frescoes depicting winged angels File:Shahi_Hammam_4_(WCLA).jpg, The baths' cold chamber is elaborately decorated with frescoes File:Shahi_Hammam_19_(WCLA).jpg, Side chambers are used as an auditorium File:Shahi_Hammam_23_(WCLA).jpg, Elevated walkways have been constructed to avoid damage to the restored site File:Shahi_Hammam_14_(WCLA).jpg, The bath's lower levels have been exposed File:Shahi Hammam (Wazir Khan's hammam) recently renovated by Aga Khan Trust for Culture.jpg, The baths feature new informational displays File:Some intricate details - Shahi Hammam (Wazir Khan's hammam).jpg, Examples of the baths' frescoes File:Some intricate details - Shahi Hammam (Wazir Khan's hammam) 3.jpg, Examples of the baths' frescoes File:Some intricate details - Shahi Hammam (Wazir Khan's hammam) 2.jpg, Examples of the baths' frescoes File:Recently launched a cafe for refreshment, Wazir Khan's hammam.jpg, The baths feature a cafe File:Hypocaust_system_in_Wazir_Khan_Hammam.JPG,

Hypocaust A hypocaust ( la, hypocaustum) is a system of central heating in a building that produces and circulates hot air below the floor of a room, and may also warm the walls with a series of pipes through which the hot air passes. This air can warm th ...

s File:Steam_Bath_area_of_Wazir_Khan_Hammam.jpg, The steam bath features more reserved embellishments File:Roof_of_Wazir_Khan_Hammam.JPG, Dome and exhaust vents in the roof of the Shahi Hammam File:Wazir_Khan%27s_hammams.JPG, The central dome of the cold chamber features geometric frescoes File:Wazir_Khan%27s_hammams_(2).JPG, The central dome of the cold chamber features geometric frescoes File:The roofs and walls were embellished with stunning floral paintings - Wazir Khan's hammam.jpg File:Wazir_Khan%27s_hammams_(7).JPG, Some excavated portions are now covered by protective glass for visitors to stand on. File:Another dome view, Wazir Khan's hammams.jpg, Side chambers also feature geometric ceiling designs