Tomb of Ali Mardan Khan 2.32

The Tomb of Ali Mardan Khan is a Mughal era tomb in the city of Lahore, Pakistan that was built in the 1630s.BackgroundAli Mardan Khan was a Kurd who first worked in the court of the Persian Safavid ruler Shah Safi, before moving to the Mughal court. The tomb is of octagonal plan.He was experienced in the management of engineering works, especially the construction of canals, and worked on many large projects in the Mughal territories in modern Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was appointed as the governor of Kashmir, Lahore and Kabul, then of the Punjab in 1639. Khan died in 1657 while going to Kashmir.Though Khan was an engineer and courtier, he has come to be locally regarded as a notable spiritual figure, and locals call the tomb Mardan Khan’s durbar (shrine). The grave is in a chamber below ground level, accessed by stairs, and has been decorated by visitors as though it were a saint's shrine.ArchitectureThe tomb is now in a semi-ruined state, lacking its decorations, though the main structure is intact. This is in brick with a dome of 42ft in diameter above an octagonal drum with iwans on each side. There are kiosks around the top of the drum. The tomb stands on an octagonal podium, with each side 58ft at the edge. It would have been originally decorated with stone facings and inlays (kashi kari), and fresco paintings, some traces of which remain on the tomb. The two storey gatehouse has retained much more of its decoration; originally there were perhaps four gateways. The tomb would have stood in the centre of a paradise garden as other Mughal tombs do.