Tomb of Jahangir

The Tomb of Jahangir rises in Shahdara Bagh as a red sandstone mausoleum with marble inlays and four corner minarets. Water channels divide the surrounding garden into four symmetrical sections following Persian models.

After the emperor died in Kashmir in 1627, his son Shah Jahan ordered the tomb built in Lahore and construction was completed in 1637. The project took shape during an intense period of Mughal building, just before Shah Jahan turned his attention to the Taj Mahal.

The name Jahangir means world-seizer, a title the emperor adopted himself when he took the throne. Inside the main chamber, wall frescoes show flowers and geometric patterns drawn from Persian garden motifs.

The complex sits close to the Ravi River bank on ground regularly threatened by flooding. Visitors see ongoing restoration work on walls and floors, as moisture attacks the sandstone and marble.

Contrary to Mughal tomb tradition, no central dome crowns the building because the emperor requested its absence. Instead, the four towers provide the vertical accents of the skyline.