Lahore Fort Picture Wall restoration: a milestone for heritage conservation

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has described the completion of restoration works on the Picture Wall at Lahore Fort as one of Pakistan’s most ambitious heritage conservation efforts.

The Picture Wall is among the world’s largest and most extraordinary Mughal murals, stretching approximately 475 metres in length and rising to an average height of 17 metres. Completed in April 2026 following around a decade of scientific research, multidisciplinary collaboration, and international partnerships, the project represents a major achievement in safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations.

Fuad Pashayev, UNESCO Representative in Pakistan, underscored that the completion of the Picture Wall restoration is a testament to what can be achieved when scientific rigour, international cooperation and local expertise come together. “UNESCO is proud to have witnessed this journey and to see that the conservation work has been recognized as strengthening the Outstanding Universal Value of this exceptional World Heritage property. We encourage Pakistan to carry this model of excellence forward,” he said.

Constructed during the rule of Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan in the seventeenth century, the wall contains nearly 2,000 decorated panels depicting hunting scenes, battle processions, flora, fauna, and geometric patterns through glazed tile mosaic (Kashikari), fresco painting (Naqqashi), terracotta work, marble, and sandstone detailing.

The wall reflects a unique synthesis of Persian, Central Asian, and South Asian artistic traditions, standing as a testament to centuries of cultural exchange, pluralism, and shared heritage.

The restoration project was a partnership between Aga Khan Cultural Service - Pakistan (AKCS-P), which led implementation, and the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), which provided institutional support. Furthermore, the initiative was supported through contributions from a range of partners and donors, including the US Embassy, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Beginning in 2015, the project adopted a phased, science-led approach to conservation, with restoration interventions officially commencing in 2018 following an extensive preparatory phase that included strategic documentation, evaluations and workshops. Rigorous research using technologies including 3D laser scanning, electronic distance measurement devices, and high-resolution ortho-rectified photography informed the restoration process. Throughout the project, emphasis remained on preserving original structures and materials rather than redesigning them, ensuring both authenticity and long-term sustainability.

The initiative brought together architects, engineers, scientists, conservators, artists and craftspeople whose combined expertise established new benchmarks for conserving complex historic structures in Pakistan. It also enabled the transfer and revival of traditional skills. Many workers who initially joined as apprentices subsequently developed into skilled practitioners and trainers, contributing to the sustainability of traditional conservation knowledge and expertise. The project also generated significant employment opportunities, engaging hundreds of skilled and unskilled workers over many years.

Importantly, the restoration helped foster a new generation of heritage professionals in Pakistan. A notable proportion of the conservation team comprised women, including conservation architects, chemists, archaeologists, artists, and artisans, reflecting efforts to broaden participation and strengthen long-term local capacity. Emphasising this point, CEO AKCS-P Tausif Khawaja remarked, “Beyond restoring the wall itself, the project has also nurtured a new generation of highly skilled conservation professionals — many of them women — who will carry these methods into the future. Today, the Picture Wall stands as a powerful symbol of what can be achieved when governments, international partners, and local communities unite around a shared heritage.”

In addition to conserving a historic monument, the initiative demonstrates how heritage preservation can support social, cultural and economic development. With Lahore Fort receiving millions of visitors annually, the restored Picture Wall is expected to further strengthen tourism, increase visitor engagement and support livelihoods linked to the city’s cultural economy.

The completion of the restoration marks not an end but an important milestone in a broader conservation journey. Through continued partnerships, further efforts are planned by the stakeholders involved in the Picture wall project, to conserve additional historic structures and strengthen interpretation and public engagement across the Lahore Fort and its wider historic setting.

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