Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar (Urdu: ‫ ;ﮨﺮن ﻣﯿﻨﺎر‬or "The Deer

Tower") is an early 17th-century Mughal
era complex located in Sheikhupura, in the
Pakistani province of Punjab.
 Hiran Minar
‫ﮨﺮن ﻣﯿﻨﺎر‬

Hiran Minar complex

Location in
Punjab, Pakistan
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Coordinates 31°44′35″N
73°57′18.7″E

Location Sheikhupura, Punjab,

Pakistan

Beginning date 1607

Completion date 1620[1]

Website [1]

The complex was built at the site of a

game reserve in honour of Mughal
Emperor Jahangir's pet antelope. The
Emperor is remembered for his fondness
of nature,[2] and his complex embodies the
Mughal relationship between humans,
pets, and hunting.[3]

Location
The Hiran Minar complex is located in the
city of Sheikhupura, about 40 kilometres
northwest of Lahore. The complex is
located near the Sheikhupura Fort, which
also dates from the early 17th century.
Both sites are accessible from Lahore via
the M2 Motorway, which connects Lahore
to the Islamabad.

History
Hiran Minar was built during the reign of
the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in a hunting
reserve used by the Mughal royals. The
reserve was built in a scrub forest, and
allowed Mughal emperors to experience a
sense of semi-wilderness near the imperial
city of Lahore.[4] The game-reserve was
used as a park where visitors could enjoy
the sport of hunting.[4]

The minaret itself was built in 1606 C.E. as

a monument to Emperor Jahangir's
beloved pet antelope, Mansiraj, or "Light of
the Mind",[5] who had been trained to lure
wild animals to the tank in order to be
hunted.[3] The practice of building such