Cypress Tomb, also known as Saruwala Maqbara (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: ), is an early 18th century tomb located in Begumpura,

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

, Pakistan

Background

This structure houses the tomb of Sharf-un-Nisa Begam, sister of Nawab Zakariya Khan, the governor of Lahore province during the reign of

Mughal emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...

Muhammad Shah Rangeela, built in the eighteenth century. It is located near to the north of the Tomb of Dai Anga, and east of the

Grand Trunk Road Grand Trunk Road (formerly known as Uttarapath, Sadak-e-Azam, Shah Rah-e-Azam, Badshahi Sadak, and Long Walk) is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. For at least 2,500 years it has linked Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent. It r ...

in the Begampura neighbourhood of Lahore, Pakistan.

History

The structure was built during 1735–1740 CE, and was used by Sharf-un-Nisa Begam as a meditation chamber during her lifetime. Sharf-un-Nisa Begam had the structure constructed as a place for her to read the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

in the mornings. She climbed up and descended from the structure by means of a wooden ladder. After her death, the meditation chamber was converted into her tomb, so that even in death, she could remain in

purdah Pardah or purdah (from Hindi-Urdu , , meaning "curtain") is a religious and social practice of sex segregation prevalent among some Muslim, Zoroastrian and Hindu communities. The purdah garment is the same as a burqa, or yashmak, i.e a veil ...

and out of view of unrelated men. The building came to be known locally as the Cypress tomb, on account of the tile motifs depicting

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

trees, alongside other floral motifs used on the tiles on the exterior walls. The tomb was originally surrounded by a garden and pool, which likely abutted the garden which once surrounded the nearby Tomb of Dai Anga. The tomb was one of the last notable structures of the late Mughal era. During Sikh rule in the 18th century, it was believed that the tomb contained treasure, and so Sharf-un-Nisa Begam's Quran and sword were both plundered and the tomb desecrated. As new buildings have been constructed around the area, it has become difficult to access the tomb. It was initially surrounded by gardens, but because of the houses built on them, a "small garden" exists today in which the local boys play cricket.

Architecture

Historian Catherine Blanshard Asher describes the tomb as "Lahore's best preserved monument from the post-Aurangzeb period". It is a "unique structure" as it is like a tapering tower with a "pyramidal vault". The exterior walls of the tomb are covered with

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

tiles, whose colours are much fainter than other buildings where similar tiles have been used. The lower part of the walls contains white and blue tiles imported from western Europe. The mosaic tiles are set in a plaster base. The structure has an elevated platform, so that Sharf-un-Nisa Begam could remain in

even after death. The use of glazed tiles is not unique in Lahore architecture, but the "stiff, rigid quality" of the design of these separates it from other buildings in the city.

Conservation

The tomb is listed on the Protected Heritage Monuments of the Archaeology Department of Punjab.

Gallery

File:Bronze Art of Cypress trees on the tomb - Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa.jpg, A well-preserved portion of the tomb's exterior File:Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa with plaque.jpg, Tomb with plaque File:Entrance gate (situated on upper building) - Tomb of Sharf ul Nisa.jpg, Elevated entrance to the chamber

References

External links

* {{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan Architecture of Lahore Tombs in Lahore Mughal tombs Mughal gardens in Pakistan Persian gardens in Pakistan Tourist attractions in Lahore