Unesco acknowledges completion of Lahore Fort Picture Wall restoration

LAHORE: Unesco has published a report on its website recognising the completion of restoration work on the Picture Wall at Lahore Fort, describing it as an important addition to wider conservation efforts at the historic site.

The restoration of the northern section was formally completed in April 2026 after more than a decade of scientific study and interdisciplinary work. The Picture Wall, which stretches along the northern and western sides of Lahore Fort, presents a visual record spanning 400 years and is regarded as one of the world’s largest and most elaborate mural walls.

The wall extends nearly 475 metres and has an average height of 17 metres. Constructed during the rule of Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan in the seventeenth century, it contains around 2,000 recessed decorative panels arranged in three tiers. These panels depict hunting scenes, royal processions, angels, mythical figures, animals, birds, and geometric and floral motifs.

The decorative work includes glazed tile mosaic, fresco, marble and red sandstone jali, and terracotta relief. Unesco noted that the wall’s artistic significance was one of the principal reasons Lahore Fort was placed on the World Heritage List in 1981.

Project timeline and methods

The conservation project began in 2015 through a partnership between the Aga Khan Cultural Service – Pakistan and the Walled City of Lahore Authority. The first phase involved detailed documentation of the entire wall using 3D laser scanning, Electronic Distance Measurement instruments, and high-resolution ortho-rectified photography. This was the first time such techniques had been used on this scale in Pakistan.

Based on that research, a prototype conservation area measuring 11 metres by 16 metres was selected on the western façade to test restoration methods. In January 2018, an international workshop brought together conservators, chemists and heritage specialists to review the prototype and establish principles and standards for the broader intervention.

Those findings then guided phased restoration of the full western section, covering a 73-metre-long and 16-metre-high portion of the wall. Conservation work officially started in March 2018.

Institutions and funding

Unesco said the restoration was carried out by young Pakistani professionals in collaboration with local and international institutions under the guidance of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and with technical support from international conservation experts. It also highlighted that many members of the Aga Khan Cultural Service – Pakistan conservation team were women, working as conservation scientists, surface conservators, conservation architects, archaeologists, ceramists and artisans.

The report also noted that the Picture Wall reflects a range of artistic influences, including European traditions, Iranian mythology and Christianity.

The project was supported by the Punjab government, the Walled City of Lahore Authority, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. A total of $1.5 million was invested in the effort.

Tausif Khwaja, CEO of Aga Khan Cultural Service – Pakistan, said the restoration demonstrated the country’s conservation capacity. “The Picture Wall is a key reason for the Lahore Fort’s UNESCO World Heritage status, and this project has proven that world-class heritage conservation is achievable in Pakistan”

Fuad Pashayev, Unesco’s country representative to Pakistan, said the project showed the value of combining scientific standards, international cooperation and local expertise.

The completion of the work marks a major milestone in preserving one of Lahore Fort’s most distinctive features for future generations.