Lahore Museum facts for kids
| لہور میوزیم عجائب گھر لاہور |
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Entrance to the museum
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| Former name | Central Museum |
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| Established | 1865, moved to present site in 1894 |
| Location | The Mall, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Type | Archaeology, art, heritage, modern history, religious |
| Collection size | 58,000 |
| Visitors | 227,994 (2018) |
| Owner | Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (National Heritage and Culture Division) |
| Public transit access | Civil Secretariat, Lahore Metrobus |
The Lahore Museum (Punjabi: لہور میوزیم; Urdu: عجائب گھر لاہور; meaning Lahore Wonder House) is a fantastic museum located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It first opened its doors in 1865 in a smaller spot. Later, in 1894, it moved to its current, much larger home on The Mall. This happened during the time when the British ruled India. Today, the Lahore Museum is the biggest museum in Pakistan and one of the most visited!
This museum is famous for its huge collection of Buddhist art. Much of this art comes from ancient kingdoms like the Indo-Greek and Gandhara. You can also find amazing items from the Indus Valley Civilisation, the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire, and the British Indian Empire.
Did you know that the Lahore Museum is even in a famous book? It's the setting for the start of the novel Kim by Rudyard Kipling. The famous Zamzama Gun, which is right outside the museum, is also part of the story. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was actually one of the first people to manage the museum!
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How the Lahore Museum Started
The Lahore Museum first opened in 1865-1866. It was in the building where the Tollinton Market is now. That building was originally made for a big exhibition in 1864. The beautiful building you see today was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's 50th year as queen in 1887. Money for it came from a special public collection.
The first stone for the new museum was laid on February 3, 1890. This was done by Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, who was Queen Victoria's grandson. When the building was finished in 1894, all the museum's collections moved there. It was then called the Jubilee Museum.
The current building was designed by Bhai Ram Singh and John Lockwood Kipling. John Lockwood Kipling, who was Rudyard Kipling's father, was one of the museum's first managers.
In 1948, when British India was divided into Pakistan and India, the museum's items were also split. The Lahore Museum kept about 60% of its collection. The rest went to India and is now in the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Chandigarh.
The years from 1970 to 1990 were considered a great time for the museum. This was when Dr. Saif-ur-Rehman Dar was the director. He was a scholar and archaeologist who wrote many books about the museum.
In recent years, the number of visitors has changed. In 2018, nearly 228,000 people visited the museum. It was also very popular with foreign visitors.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Lahore Museum has an amazing variety of items. You can see archaeological finds from the Bronze Age, like those from the Indus Valley Civilisation. There are also items from the medieval times, including the Hindu Shahi and Mughal periods.
The museum has one of the largest collections in Pakistan. It includes archaeology, history, different types of art, and crafts. You can also see a huge collection of ancient coins from the Hellenistic and Mughal times. There's even a special gallery about how Pakistan became an independent country, called the Pakistan Movement Gallery.
Amazing Collections and Artworks
The museum has many Greco-Buddhist sculptures. You can also see beautiful Mughal and Pahari paintings. There are more than 58,000 items in total, but only about 14,000 are currently on display.
Some of the most important items are from the Indus Valley civilization, Gandhara, and Graeco-Bactrian periods. One of the most famous and loved objects is the Fasting Buddha. This sculpture is from the Gandhara period.
The museum also has a huge collection of 38,000 rare coins!
The Evolution of Mankind Mural
When you enter the museum, look up at the ceiling! You'll see a giant painting called The Evolution of Mankind. This mural has 48 large panels, each about 6 by 8 feet. It was painted by a Pakistani artist named Sadequain in 1973.
Over the years, the mural got damaged by weather and termites. In 2008, money was approved to fix it. The panels were taken down in 2010, and restoration work started in 2012. By 2018, 16 of the panels were beautifully restored by Uzma Usmani and Mumtaz Hussain.
The museum also shows off lovely carved wooden items from the Mughal and Sikh times. There's a big collection of paintings from the time of the British rule. You can also find musical instruments, old jewelry, fabrics, pottery, and weapons. Plus, there are some interesting pieces from Tibet and Nepal.
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A Gandharan-era "Fasting Buddha"
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A Gandharan-era miniature stupa
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Relics from the Indo-Greek era
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Gandhara Athena
See also
- List of museums in Pakistan
- Lahore: History and Architecture of Mughal Monuments
