Tomb of Anarkali
| مقبرہ انارکلی | |
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| Coordinates | 31°34′43″N 74°21′50″E / 31.57861°N 74.36389°ECoordinates: 31°34′43″N 74°21′50″E / 31.57861°N 74.36389°E |
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| Location | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Type | Mausoleum |
| Material | brick |
| Completion date | 1599 C.E., or 1615 C.E. |
| Dedicated to | Either Sahib-i-Jamal Begum, or Anarkali |
The Tomb of Anarkali (Urdu: مقبره انارکلی) is an octagonal Mughal era monument in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.
The tomb of Anarkali is located on the grounds of Lahore's Punjab Civil Secretariat complex near the British-era Mall, southwest of the Walled City of Lahore. It is considered to be one of the earliest Mughal tombs still in existence, and is considered to be one of the most significant buildings of the early Mughal period. The building is currently used as the Punjab Archives, and public access is limited.
Construction of the tomb dates to either 1599 C.E., or 1615 C.E.
The tomb was said to be built by the Mughal Emperor Jehangir for his love Anarkali, who as per legend, was caught by Emperor Akbar for exchanging glances with Jehangir, at the time known as Prince Saleem. Anarkali was reportedly a concubine of Emperor Akbar, and this action reportedly enraged the Emperor Akbar so much, that he had Anarkali interred alive in a wall. When Prince Saleem ascended the throne and took the name "Jehangir," he is reported to have ordered the construction of a tomb over the site of the wall in which Anarkali was reportedly buried.
18th century historian Abdullah Chagatai reported that the tomb was not the resting place for Anarkali, but instead for Jehangir's beloved wife Sahib-i-Jamal Begum. Many modern historians accept the credulity of this account. The building is currently used as the Punjab Archives, so access to the public is limited.
During the time of the Sikh Empire, the tomb was occupied by Kharak Singh, and later was further desecrated by its conversion into the residence for the wife of General Jean-Baptiste Ventura, who was employed in the army of Ranjit Singh. The tomb was then converted during the British Raj into clerical offices in 1847 before repurposing the tomb into the Anglican St. James Church in 1851, and later regarded as Lahore's "Protestant Cathedral." In 1891, the church congregation was relocated, and the tomb was repurposed as the Punjab Record Office.
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