LAHORE - For the first time the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has launched a guided tour of the Lahore Fort in which the hidden spaces of the fort have been opened and the tourists can see them with a trained tour guide of WCLA. According to WCLA sources here on Monday, this is a monthly guided tour launched by the WCLA in 2024. Places inside Lahore Fort like Arzgah, Kala Burj, Akbari Gate, Akbari Hammam, Kharak Singh Haveli with rooftop views, Akbari Mahal, Sheesh Mahal Attic Rooms, Ranjeet Singh’s Last Living Room, British Barracks or Jails, Mughal era Water Channels, The Mysterious grave in the basement, Torture cells near the Royal Kitchens, Zanana Masjid, Naag Temple, Summer Palace and Daulat Khana Khas o Aam have been opened to the public for the first time in this tour. It is important to mention here that spaces like Arz Gah, Torture cells, Daulat Khana Khaas o Aam, Rooftop rooms of Sheesh Mahal and many more had been closed for many years and needed restoration. The tourism team on the site explained that these hidden spaces had been opened after restoration for the safety of the tourists. Tourism Deputy Director Asgar Hussain said that the places were opened to the public in the tour as guides need to accompany the tourists to these sites, as they were old, horrifying and new to the people. “People can easily be lost in these spaces, therefore, taking strict measures and precautions for the tourists safety, this tour is being conducted by WCLA,” he added. WCLA Director Marketing & Tourism Tania Qureshi explained that these places had been locked for decades. “Some were locked for no reason and some needed conservation and rehabilitation. WCLA has restored several places in the Lahore Fort and thus we decided to launch a guided tour of these places for the public.
This will be a monthly tour and the first tour has already been conducted by WCLA,” she said. WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said, “I always wished that there was more to see in the Lahore Fort and thus we opened those sites for the tourists that were hidden from the eyes and minds of the people. Fortunately, this tour has been a success and on public demand we launched this tour so that the hidden spaces could be explored.”