- Published by
- Haroirum Afridi
- October 15, 2020
Hiran Minar is located in Sheikhupura 40 km away from Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is a famous place an early 17th-century Mughal era complex. The complex was built at the site of a game reserve in honour of Mughal Emperor Jahangir's beloved antelope named Mansraj. The Emperor is remembered for his fondness of nature, and his complex embodies the Mughal relationship between humans, pets, and hunting. The minaret itself was built in 1606 C.E. as a monument to Emperor Jahangir's beloved pet antelope, Mansiraj, one of his pet deer. The Jahangir-era minaret stands 130 feet (but now hight is 110 feet) high and is 33 feet wide at its base. The sides of the minar are inscribed with a eulogy to the pet antelope. A massive rectangular water-tank pool measuring 750 feet by 890 feet lies at the heart of the complex. An octagonal pavilion built during the reign of Shah Jahan is at the centre of the pool. The pavilion is two-storeyed, and is topped by a rooftop chhatri that served as a stone gazebo. Hiran Minar, also known as The Deer Tower, might be an underrated historical attraction but it surely is one of the best places to visit in Sheikhpura.
