The word ‘Makatib Khana’ means a clerk’s room or a secretariat and according to historic references, this was a place where clerks (muharirs) recorded entry into the grand Lahore Fort. You must be wondering where it is as it is located at the most prominent place in the majestic fort but always goes unnoticed by the tourists and public visiting the fort. As you come up into the fort through the royal ramp and enter the garden crossing the iron grill, the first building on your left is the Makatib Khana, the most majestic building for me in this huge fort, where I am delighted to spend time. The Makatib Khana is a small cloistered court immediately adjacent to the Moti Masjid.

A Persian inscription fixed on the façade of the vestibule tells that the palace was built under the orders of the emperor Jahangir in the year A.H. 1027 (1617) under the superintendence of the architect Ma’mur Khan. The inscription which is carved in exquisite Nasta liq characters on the marble slab, English translate read as:

“In the twelve occasion of the blessed accession of his imperial majesty, the shadow of God, a Solomon in dignity, Kayumars in state, An Alexander in arms, the asylum of the Khlilafat emperor Nur ud din, son of emperor Jalal ud din, champion of the faith, corresponding with 1027, the building of the auspicious was completed under the superintendence of most humble disciple and slave, the devoted servant, Mamur Khan.”

According to a recent study conducted by the Walled City of Lahore Authority, the entire structure of the Makatib Khana was facing serious threat and damages. The experts said that during visual inspection the majority of damages were found in the form of cracks, and solemn leaning at northeast corner

....