Fakir Khana facts for kids
| فقیر خانہ (Urdu) | |
 Museum entrance
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| Established | 1901 (as a public museum) |
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| Location | Lahore's Walled City, Hakimaan Bazaar, near Bhati Gate, Lahore |
| Type | Private museum and house |
| Collection size | Over 20,000 objects |
| Owner | Fakir family |
Fakir Khana (Urdu: فقیر خانہ) is a special private museum and old house in Lahore, Pakistan. It belongs to the Fakir family. This museum holds more than 20,000 amazing objects. It is the biggest private museum in all of South Asia!
Contents
Where is Fakir Khana Museum?
The museum is found inside Lahore's historic Walled City. You can find it along the Hakimaan Bazaar, very close to the famous Bhati Gate.
The Fakir Family Story
The Fakir family moved to Lahore around the year 1730. They started a business that printed books. The family became very important in Lahore because of their connections to the Sikh Empire. Three of their ancestors, Fakir Nooruddin, Fakir Azizuddin, and Fakir Imamuddin, worked as special messengers for Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was a powerful ruler.
The family started collecting many interesting objects over time. Maharaja Ranjit Singh even gave them many gifts! In 1901, the family decided to open their house as a museum for everyone to visit. The government also helps a little bit to keep the museum in good condition.
What Can You See Inside?
The museum has about 20,000 pieces of art and old items. Most of these are from the 1700s to the 1900s. There's also a small collection of very old items from a place called Gandhara.
You can see many gifts that Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave to the Fakir family. The collection also includes:
- 10,000 old handwritten books and documents
- 180 tiny, detailed paintings called miniature paintings
- Fabrics from the Sikh era
- Statues
- Pottery
- Beautifully carved ivory pieces
One very special item is a painting of Nawab Mumtaz Ali. It's only 12 by 6 inches big. What's amazing is that it was painted using just a single hair! It took 15 years to finish this incredible artwork.
The Museum Building Itself
The house where the museum is located is very old and interesting. It shows what life was like for wealthy families in Lahore during the Sikh and British times. This building was first owned by Raja Todar Mal. He was an important finance minister for the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
