Soft launch of Akbari Gate held at Lahore Fort — Dawn
A soft launch of the Akbari Gate and the Curator’s House was held at Lahore Fort in Pakistan after conservation work was completed. Dawn reports.
Heritage restoration project
The work was carried out as part of the Heritage and Urban Regeneration: Tourism Development in Lahore Fort and its Buffer Zone project, launched in 2022. It is a joint initiative of the Walled City of Lahore Authority and Punjab Heritage Zones, and the French Development Agency. The project is being implemented by the authority’s project management unit and Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan.
Juliette Le Pannerer, project team manager at the French Development Agency, urban development expert Ahsan Paracha, and project management unit director Tanveer Sahu attended the opening. Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan was represented by Chief Executive Officer Tauseef Khawaja, Director of Conservation and Design Wajahat Ali, Head of Conservation and Planning Shukrullah Beg, and Conservation and Urban Design Manager Naheed Iftikhar. The opening of both sites was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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New entrance and food establishment
Najmus Saqib, Director General of the Walled City of Lahore Authority and Punjab Heritage Zones, said the conservation work is intended to improve access to Lahore’s historic sites, attract more visitors, and create opportunities for sustainable economic activity. According to him, the reopening of Akbari Gate will reconnect the walled city with the fort, while the Curator’s House will be converted into a food establishment.
The Curator’s House was the first site opened during the event. The British-period building initially served as accommodation for the fort’s guards and was later used for administrative purposes. Until recently, the structure had been divided into two residences for local residents, with several additional walls built inside the rooms.
Akbari Gate is one of the main entrances to Lahore Fort. It was closed during British rule, but conservation of the structure has now been completed. A ticket office is planned there in the near future so that the gate can become a full-fledged entrance for visitors and once again provide residents of the walled city with convenient access to the fort. The delegation also inspected the progress of conservation work at Akbari Mahal, Kala Burj, and the British barracks.
