Photo Gallery

Kamran's Baradari (built 1520s or mid 17th-century)

Kamran's Baradari is the ostensibly the earliest known Mughal monument in Lahore, said to have been built by Prince Kamran in the 1520s. However, the pavilion more likely dates to the reign of Shah Jahan (1627-58) as certain architectural features such as the use of cusped arches were not employed until Shah Jahan's reign. The attribution of the structure to Prince Kamran likely derived from local oral traditions which were picked up by Latif when he collected material for his comprehensive book on Lahore's architectural heritage in 1892.

The baradari originally stood at the edge of the Ravi river, but over time the course of the river changed and the site became an island. Sometime over the course of the centuries the river flooded, taking half the baradari along with it. As Mughal buildings are generally symmetrical, it was possible for historians to infer the design of the lost portion and it was rebuilt in 1989 at a cost of 19.6 million rupees (about $1 million USD at the time). Unfortunately, the restoration extended to the remaining half and resulted in the total effacement of its surface decoration including the few fragments of original decoration to have survived. Of the gardens, very few traces survived in the late 20th century and a new garden based partially on Mughal motifs was built to the west of the Baradari.

Plan view

Image drawn by Timothy M Ciccone following plan in "Gardens of Mughal Lahore" by Ihsan H. Nadiem.

Site Plan

Image drawn by Timothy M Ciccone. Scale is approximate.

Location

The approximate location of the baradari is 31.606684' N, 74.293632' E (WGS 84 map datum).