400-year-old tunnel discovered in Lahore Shahi Qila

The recently found tunnel’s walls are firmly in place, said a sub-engineer.

Lahore Walled City Authority sub-engineer Hafiz Omar, who is working on the project, said that some time ago, when the renovation and renovation work of Moti Masjid and Maktab Khana was started, traces of the tunnel were found during excavation. Further diggings and research revealed that it was a drain system that was built 400 years ago, initially the 625 feet long tunnel has been restored while further work will be done in the next phase.

According to the details, the discovered tunnel passes through different parts of the fort. Further, passageway leads to many small tunnels along with the main channel. Lighting and air supply are also present whereas the tunnel is large enough to cater an individual walking inside it.  

An on-site engineer said, during the rainy season, the water collected in the fort used to accumulate in the tunnels, which has damaged various parts of the fort, including the Moti Masjid, Maktab Khana, Haveli Mai Jindan and the museum building. Initially, the 625-foot-long tunnel has been repaired and cleaned to enable drainage, and rainwater streams out of the ancient shaft.

According to another expert, restoring the tunnel and drain, which has been closed for four years, was a very difficult task. In developed countries, modern machinery and equipment are used for such works, but we have completed the work in the traditional way. Snakes and scorpions were also seen during the excavation. "We are happy that the tunnel is functional," he said.

Archaeologists say, the tunnel was apparently used only for the drainage system, but the size of the tunnel, which is large enough to hold a lamp, suggests that the tunnel may have been used as a secret passage.

After digging different parts of the Royal Fort, authorities have also discovered ammunition, the royal kitchen, the baths of the Jahangiri era, the basement under the Black Bridge and the corridors.

According to experts, the fort has seven layers, meaning it was demolished and rebuilt seven times. If excavations is started in any part of the fort, many artefacts can be recovered from.