Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives

06/06/2026

The Mughal Garden: Interpretation, Conservation and Implications.
Mughal gardens have captivated the world yet received little scholarly attention until this volume. "The Mughal Garden: Interpretation, Conservation and Implications," edited by Mahmood Hussain, Abdul Rehman, and James L. Wescoat Jr., addresses this gap through research initiated in 1984 by Pakistani institutions and the Smithsonian Institution.
The book is organized into three sections: reexamining fundamental concepts about Mughal gardens, addressing conservation challenges, and exploring lessons for modern heritage preservation.
The collaboration between Pakistani and international experts brings both local and global perspectives, covering major gardens including Shalimar Garden Lahore, Peshawar Gardens, Wah Garden, Lahore Fort Gardens, and Qutb Shahi sites in Hyderabad. This book addresses conservation policies, urban planning implications, Qur'anic design concepts, and garden imagery in Urdu poetry.
This book is essential reading for heritage professionals, architects, and anyone interested in preserving Mughal gardens. You can find this book at Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives, making it accessible for those who wish to explore these important ideas further.

05/06/2026

Students and scholars from the Seeta Majeed School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLASS), BNU, visited Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives. They received an in-depth briefing on the archives, the nature of the material preserved here, and the ways in which these records can open new avenues of research. The students also discussed the need for decolonisation in the social sciences and showed keen interest in the archival collections. They appreciated the efforts of WCLA, particularly its no-hurdle policy for scholars and researchers.

02/06/2026

As the world prepares to observe World Environment Day on 5th June, Gardens in the Time of the Great Muslim Empires: Theory and Design by Attilio Petruccioli offers a meaningful reflection on the deep connection between environment, landscape, and historical architecture. The book highlights how Mughal gardens were carefully designed not only for beauty and leisure but also to create harmony between nature and human life. Water channels, shaded pathways, trees, and symmetrical garden layouts reflected an environmental consciousness that respected climate, ecology, and sustainable living.

The Mughal gardens demonstrate how historical architecture was closely dependent on environmental conditions. Natural elements such as water availability, seasonal changes, sunlight, and vegetation directly influenced the planning and preservation of these architectural spaces. Gardens became symbols of balance where architecture and nature coexisted together. However, changing environmental conditions, pollution, urbanization, and climate change now threaten many of these historic landscapes and monuments.

This book reminds us that the conservation of historical heritage cannot be separated from environmental protection. Protecting the environment means protecting the cultural and architectural legacy connected with it. The Mughal gardens stand as timeless examples of how past civilizations understood the importance of sustainability, ecological balance, and the healing relationship between humans and nature. As World Environment Day on 5th June approaches, this work encourages us to rethink our responsibility towards preserving both the environment and our shared heritage for future generations.

This reading is especially valuable for architects, historians, conservationists, environmental researchers and students of design. The book is available for researchers and readers at Akbari Mahal Kutub Khana and Archives.

31/05/2026

Report on the Working of the Lahore Museum

These are annual reports from the Lahore Museum covering 1907 to 1915, documenting the museum's operations during the British colonial period in India. The reports show that the museum actively collected artifacts across natural history, ethnography, art, archaeology, and antiquities departments. Visitor numbers fluctuated due to plague, famine, and political unrest, and the museum introduced special ladies-only days to encourage female attendance.
Acquisitions came from government departments, private donors, and the Treasure Trove Act, with detailed records of items organized by material type, including gold, silver, copper, and lead. The reports discuss collection improvements, display arrangements, preservation challenges, and efforts to acquire significant artifacts. Overall, these documents provide a valuable snapshot of museum administration, institutional growth, and cultural stewardship in early 20th-century colonial India, revealing how the institution worked to build its collections while managing operational challenges and serving a diverse visiting public.
These reports on the working of Lahore Museum are available at Akbari Mahal Kutab Khana and Archives.

23/05/2026

21/05/2026

Gurmukhi class journey learning step by step and staying connected to culture and heritage

18/05/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁

Join us for an engaging session on “𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻” and explore the importance of preserving our cultural legacy for future generations.

📅 Date: 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
⏰ Time: 𝟒:𝟎𝟎𝐏𝐌 – 𝟓:𝟎𝟎𝐏𝐌
📍 Venue: 𝐀𝐤𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐛 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐋𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭

🎙️ Featuring renowned architect and conservation expert 𝗠𝗿. 𝗞𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗺𝘁𝗮𝘇

🔗 𝑹𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒘 (𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆):
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnNCDp7YM68igobqNmI0TiB2I0lm7lXG0KdG-eCTUR-oeVag/viewform

Be part of a thought-provoking discussion on heritage, identity, and conservation in today’s world.

📞 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁: Khuram Abbas - 0316-4402047

18/05/2026