Present Condition and Causes of Decay of Tomb of Jahangir at Shahdara, Lahore

All the materials used in the construction of historical buildings undergo deterioration when exposed to aggressive environments. The rate and symptoms of such a process is influenced by a number of factors, including the properties of material itself, the natural factors and human- actions. These factors either act separately or in various combinations. Conservation refers to systematic measures taken to keep the monument in good condition. The monument of Jahangir’s tomb is about 370 years old. Several times, since its construction, it has gone through various repairs and restoration work, though never under a comprehensive conservation plan. The nature of restoration work included the restoration/repair of cenotaph, stone pavements and some facades of main building. This paper is focused on the study and analysis of the present condition of structure of building of this very important historic monument, the ‘Tomb of Jahangir’, situated at Shahdara, Lahore. The aim of the paper is to identify the causes of decay and deterioration of the building through a detailed visual examination carried out by authors of the paper during the year 2004. An examination of the building has shown that there is no single cause responsible for the deterioration and decay of Jahangir’s tomb. It has been found that there are number of intrinsic (internal) as well as extrinsic (external) causes responsible for decay of the building. Thus this paper is an attempt to facilitate the work of conservator/conservation-architect by providing necessary information required for the conservation/restoration of a historic monument.