From Dust to Digital: Revival of Lahore Fort’s Akbari Mahal Kutab Khana

Published: September 13, 2025
Updated: 3 days ago
By: Tania Qureshi (Adapted for Travel & Culture Services)

In August 2023, the Punjab government handed full control of the Lahore Fort to the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA). What followed was one of the most extraordinary heritage recoveries in recent memory. Inside a long-abandoned storeroom in Kharak Singh Haveli, WCLA teams discovered over 17,000 archival files and nearly 4,000 glass plates, negatives, and photographs—many dating back to colonial and pre-colonial eras.

These fragile records, buried under decades of dust and decay, were rescued just in time. Recognizing their historical significance, WCLA assembled a team of archivists and historians, supported by scholars from GCU and BNU, and consultants including Dr. Tahir Kamran. Their mission: to salvage, catalogue, digitize, and share this forgotten heritage.

Phased Preservation

Launched on September 11, 2023, the archival project unfolded in three phases:

Phase 1: Retrieval and cleaning
Phase 2: Stabilization and restoration
Phase 3: Categorization and inventory creation

By late 2024, the archives were relocated to the conserved ground floor of Kharak Singh Haveli, part of the Akbari Mahal Complex, and opened to the public.

Digitization and Global Access

Over 20,000 documents, 10,000 photographs, and 4,500 glass plates were catalogued. A 20-category framework was developed, covering everything from colonial gazettes to excavation reports. More than two million pages were digitized, and a global digital catalogue—the first of its kind in Pakistan—is set to launch by the end of September 2025.

Tools and Expertise

The project used acid-free archival boxes, dehumidifiers, specialist brushes, and high-resolution scanners. Experts from Cambridge University, LUMS, and BNU contributed to planning and implementation. A Cambridge archivist oversaw the process and made multiple visits to ensure international standards were met.

Public Engagement

Previously closed to the public, the Akbari Mahal library has been transformed into a vibrant archive space. Purpose-built seating areas now welcome researchers, students, and visitors. The archives are open, accessible, and actively used by scholars from across Pakistan and abroad.

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