Royal Kitchens

Located at the rear of the Lahore Fort’s Alamgiri Gate, the Royal Kitchens (Urdu: شاہی باوارچی خانہ) are part of the fort’s entire kitchen complex. The Kitchens were brought under conservation by the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and Aga Khan Trust for Culture in 2015 to preserve its rich historical significance. The Royal Kitchens were first built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign before being partly destroyed in the Sikh’s rise to power in Punjab and their eventual hold on the Lahore Fort. Special royal feasts including all meal courses and special desserts were prepared within the Royal Kitchens. Later, however, the kitchens were used as horse stables and food storerooms and even played the role of interrogation cells and jails during the British Raj. With the passage of time, many parts of the Royal Kitchens got buried underground. It was not until the conservation formally began that the hidden aspects of the Kitchens were revealed through technical and photographic documentation, such as frescoed walls and the original ground levels of the kitchens. The Temple of Prince Loh, also known as lava Mandir, was also revealed. After the completion of the conservation project, the Royal Kitchens were formally inaugurated by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019. Since then, the Walled City of Lahore Authority has held various Sufi events at the Royal Kitchens, as they serve as the perfect backdrop for cultural events.