The tomb of Ali Mardan Khan is a tall octagonal Mughal tomb from the 1630s in Mughalpura, Lahore, on the Grand Trunk Road opposite the University of Engineering and Technology and a short drive from Shalimar Gardens. It was built for the mother of Ali Mardan Khan, Shah Jahan's governor and canal engineer, and he was buried there himself in 1657. The catch is access: the tomb stands inside a Pakistan Railways yard, reached only by a long walled lane, and that lane has been closed to the public for long stretches. Treat a visit as something to arrange and check, not something to drop in on.
This guide covers who Ali Mardan Khan was, what survives of the tomb and its gateway, the history of the access problem, and how to fit an attempt into a day on the GT Road side of Lahore.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mughalpura, off GT Road, opposite UET, behind Buddhu ka Awa |
| Built | 1630s, Shah Jahan's reign |
| Who is buried | Ali Mardan Khan (died 1657) and, at the centre, his mother |
| Plan | Octagonal, on an octagonal podium with sides of about 58 feet (18 m) |
| Dome | About 42 feet (13 m) across, on a high drum |
| Access | Through a narrow walled lane across railway land; often closed |
| Entry fee | None known; access depends on the lane being open |
| Nearest Orange Line stations | UET and Baghbanpura |
Who was Ali Mardan Khan?
Ali Mardan Khan was a Kurd who served the Safavid shah of Persia as governor of Kandahar. In 1638 he went over to the Mughals and handed Kandahar to Shah Jahan, who rewarded him generously. In Mughal service he became governor of Kashmir, Kabul, Lahore and the Punjab, and he was made governor of the Punjab in 1639.
He is remembered less as a soldier than as a builder of waterworks. He is credited with the canal that brought Ravi water to Shalimar Gardens in Lahore and with water systems in Kashmir, as well as gardens and sarais elsewhere. He died in 1657 on his way to Kashmir and was brought back to Lahore to lie in the tomb he had built for his mother.
What does the tomb look like?
The tomb is octagonal and was described by Lahore's Chughtai heritage archive as the city's highest tomb. It stands on a high octagonal podium, each side about 58 feet (18 m) long, with a deep arched recess (pishtaq) on each of the eight faces. Above it rises a high drum and a double dome about 42 feet (13 m) in diameter. Eight small domed kiosks (chhatris) once stood at the corners of the drum; only three survive, according to a 2023 account in The News on Sunday.
The graves are in an underground chamber reached by stairs, on a raised platform beneath the dome. Ali Mardan Khan's mother lies at the centre.
The bare brick you see now was never meant to show. The tomb was faced with red sandstone and marble, the dome was finished in white marble with black marble inlay, and the walls carried fresco paintings and tile work. Most of that cladding was stripped in the Sikh period. The design is close to that of Asif Khan's tomb at Shahdara, another octagonal brick tomb of the same reign that lost its stone facing in the same way.
What is special about the gateway?
The two-storey gatehouse kept more of its decoration than the tomb. Look for the glazed tile mosaic (kashi kari) on its facade, with floral motifs cut piece by piece, and for floral fresco painting inside. The gateway is the part of the complex that best shows how colourful the whole site once was. There may originally have been four gateways around a walled garden; this is the one that survives.
Why is the tomb so hard to reach?
When the railways built their large Mughalpura workshops in the second half of the nineteenth century, the land around the tomb, including its old garden, became part of the railway estate. The Archaeology Department negotiated a public right of way and was given a lane between two walls, no more than about six feet wide and nearly half a kilometre long, roofed with steel mesh to stop pilfering from the yard.
That lane has opened and closed over the years:
- In February 2002 Dawn reported that Pakistan Railways and the Archaeology Department had closed the lane "temporarily", partly because the graves were being venerated as a shrine.
- In December 2018 Pakistan Today reported the tomb being opened to the public briefly every Thursday, and described it as badly neglected, with railway workers using it as a resting place.
- In April 2021 the Punjab tourism and archaeology secretary said he would raise the railways' closure of the tomb and asked officials to reopen it under an agreed arrangement.
- In March 2023 The News on Sunday reported that a repair budget had been approved and conservation was about to begin.
We could not find a confirmed current visiting schedule, so we can't tell you whether the lane is open now. Locals still treat the grave as a shrine, which is part of why the authorities have restricted it.
How do I try to visit?
Get to GT Road at the University of Engineering and Technology. The Orange Line metro runs along this stretch of GT Road, with stations at UET and Baghbanpura; our Orange Line guide explains tickets and stops. By car or rickshaw, ask for UET or for Buddhu ka Awa, the tiled tomb on the roadside opposite the university.
The tomb is behind Buddhu ka Awa, and the lane to it starts from Mughalpura Road (the old Wheatman Road). Ask at the lane entrance or nearby whether it is open and on which days. If it is locked, there is no other public way in, and you will not reach the gateway or the burial chamber.
Go in daylight, in a small group, and keep to the lane: the railway yard on either side is not public land. Dress and behave as you would at a shrine, since people come here to pray.
What else is nearby?
The tomb is one stop on a stretch of GT Road thick with Mughal buildings:
- Buddhu's Tomb (Buddhu ka Awa), the tiled dome in front of the railway land, which you pass on the way.
- The Gulabi Bagh gateway, facing the tomb across GT Road, part of a Mughal garden complex in Begumpura.
- The Cypress Tomb (Saruwala Maqbara) in Begumpura, known for its cypress-tree tile panels.
- Shalimar Gardens, a few minutes further east, which drew its water from the canal credited to Ali Mardan Khan.
Is the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan worth the effort?
If you are interested in Mughal architecture and already heading to Shalimar Gardens, it is worth trying, because it is one of the largest tombs in Lahore and the gateway tile work is fine. Go with low expectations: the tomb is semi-ruined, the setting is an industrial yard, and you may find the lane shut.
It is not a family outing and not a first-time visitor's priority. For a day in Lahore with more certainty, see our list of places to visit in Lahore or the ideas on our experiences page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan?
In Mughalpura, Lahore, inside Pakistan Railways land behind Buddhu ka Awa, on GT Road opposite the University of Engineering and Technology.
Who is buried in the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan?
Ali Mardan Khan, Shah Jahan's governor of the Punjab who died in 1657, and his mother, for whom he originally built the tomb.
Is the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan open to the public?
Not reliably. Access is through a railway lane that has been closed for long periods, and we could not confirm current opening days, so ask locally before you go.
Is there an entry fee?
We know of no ticket. Whether you can get in depends on the lane being open, not on paying a fee.
How is it connected to Shalimar Gardens?
Ali Mardan Khan is credited with the canal that brought Ravi water to Shalimar Gardens, which lies a few minutes east along GT Road.
