Photo: Government of PunjabField guides / Punjab / Lahore / Kamran's Garden, Lahore
Field guide · Nature
Lahore
Lahore District · Punjab, Pakistan
Kamran's Garden, Lahore
A Mughal pavilion of 1540 in the Ravi, believed to be the oldest Mughal building in Lahore.
Kamran's Baradari is a summer pavilion built in 1540 by Kamran Mirza, son of Babur and brother of Humayun, in a garden on the bank of the Ravi. The river has since shifted, and the pavilion now stands on an island in the middle of it.
Why go
- ✦Built in 1540 by Kamran Mirza
- ✦An island pavilion in the Ravi
- ✦Believed to be Lahore's oldest Mughal building
- ✦Frescoes under restoration
About
It is believed to be the oldest Mughal building in Lahore, and the only garden in the Shahdara Bagh area not turned into a tomb. After 1849 the British used it as a toll house for boats. Floods damaged it in the 1850s and again in 1958, it was rebuilt in 1989, and its frescoes are being restored by the Punjab archaeology department. Some features, such as its cusped arches, belong to later Mughal styles, so the present building may have been heavily restored or rebuilt.
History
Kamran Mirza seized Lahore after Babur's death in 1530 and laid out the garden, building the baradari in 1540. Mughal royals used it until the 18th century. The British made it a toll house for river traffic; floods damaged the east front and upper storey in the 1850s, and it was reconstructed in 1989 after further flood damage in 1958.
How to Reach
In the Ravi at Shahdara, Lahore, by boat from the riverbank.
Responsible Travel
Respect local communities and site rules.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March.
Getting there, In the Ravi at Shahdara, Lahore, by boat from the riverbank.
Allow, One to two hours.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Kamran's Garden, Lahore, within 5 km.
