The massive walls of Lahore Fort, built by Akbar in the 1560s, tower over the old city of Lahore, and the huge rectangle they define, 380 by 330 meters (1,250 by 1,080 feet), is filled with buildings from a variety of periods. A complete tour of the fort takes about two hours. The entrance to the fort is through Alamgiri Gate The inscription outside the Fort tells that Jehangir built it in 1618.
Shalimar Gardens
Three miles east of Lahore are the famous Shalimar Gardens laid out by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in 1642 AD. The Gardens are spread out in typical Mughal style and are surrounded by high walls with watch towers at the four corners. Originally, the gardens were spread over seven ascending terraces, but only three remain now, which cover an area of about 42 acres.
Shish Mahal
Shish Mahal, or Palace of Mirrors, which stands on the fort's north side, is by far the most splendid. It consists of a row of high domed rooms, the roofs of which are decked out with hundreds of thousands of tiny mirrors in the fashion of the traditional Punjabi craft of "Shishgari" (designs made from mirror fragments). A fire-brand lit inside any part of the Palace of Mirrors throws back a million reflections that dizzy the eye and seem like a galaxy of far-off stars turning in an ink-blue firmament.
Kim's Gun
Out side the museum, not far away, Zamzama, the 18th century fire piece immortalized by Kipling as "Kim's Gun", takes up a surprising length of space in the middle of road.
Minar-e-Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakisan is a new landmark in Lahore and stands in the Iqbal Park to commemorate the date when a resolution was passed there back in 1940 demanding the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of this sub-continent. The Minar is a blend of Mughal and modern architecture and stands 60 meters tall.
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