LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has completed almost 95 percent of the restoration work of Akbari Hammam, situated inside Lahore Fort. Pakistan Today learnt on Wednesday.
The cost of the project is estimated at Rs8 million and it will be completed by July this year.
It was further learnt that the Akbari Hammam, situated adjacent to the Jahangir’s Quadrangle, was recently discovered by the WCLA during excavation work in the Lahore Fort.
According to officials, the bath was discovered when the site was being cleaned after it had turned into a dumping ground. “The WCLA team spotted a chimney at the back of the Jahangiri compound while cleaning almost 100,000 cubic feet of debris. Layers of waste and debris were removed,” the officials explained.
The officials said that there were two garages on the same site, which had been built by the archaeology department. “These garages were demolished to shed off load from the top of Akbari Hammam as it was buried underneath,” they said.
The officials further stated that the bath was part of the Akbari Palace. The bath had been buried under rubble for a long time and people had no clue of it, they added.
WCLA Director Conservation Najam Usaqib said that the experts suggested that the use of red stone in the building, lime plaster and the design of the building resemble a royal bath. The material used in the making of the bath also dates back to the earliest settlements inside the fort during Akbar’s reign.
“The WCLA, after completing documentation work of the Akbari Hammam, had started the restoration of the site in 2020. The project would be completed by July this year. There were some delays in the work because of Covid-19 lockdowns and other related issues,” Najam added.
He endorsed the statements of the officials on site and said, “The area of Akbari Hammam was a waste dumping site of quarters’ residents in Lahore Fort. The entire site was filled up with waste. The Akbari Hammam was discovered when all the waste was removed.”
He mentioned that 95 percent of the restoration work has been completed as only finishing work is left to be done. “Grassing of the place has been completed and a drainage system has also been laid to save adjacent Jahangir Quadrangle during rains and otherwise,” he added.
WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “It was a brilliant find inside the Lahore Fort. The place was badly maintained previously. No one could imagine that such a beautiful structure would be discovered underneath debris and waste. We are restoring several monuments of Lahore Fort in parts and the entire fort will be restored to its original glory soon.”
