fakir khana Museum History - History of Lahore Museum Fakir Khana By Umair Ahmad

The Faqir Khana is a private museum, which has been maintained by the Faqir family in Lahore for the past six generations. At least 30,000 artefacts and antiques are preserved in the museum. The museum is located inside the gateway. Entering the ancient Lahore from the Bhati Gate, at some distance to the right, there is a large mansion, called "Faqir Khana". This building has been recognized as the second largest museum of Lahore. Its current director is Faqir Saifuddin

A section of the Faqir Khan is called Darbar Aali, where 27 rituals are preserved. These rituals include Mubarak, wreath, glorification, smokes, piety and prayers of the Holy Prophet. Some of the relics are attributed to Hazrat Ali R.A, Hazrat Imam Hussein, Hazrat Imam Hasan, Hazrat Imam Zain al-Abedin, Hazrat Syeda Fatima Al-Zahra and Hazrat Syed Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani. Here are four relics that the family inherited from their patriarch, Hazrat Makhdoom Jehani, from Pathan Bukhari. I preserved and also dedicated about eight million properties to cover their maintenance costs.

There are 7000 antiques in the museum, besides 6000 coins. The number of coins makes up about 13,000. Faqir Syed Nooruddin also collected about 7000 books, evidence of which is found in history. Then these artefacts continued to be divided into offspring like heritage, and some of their valuable treasures were lost. The books, antiques and relics of the children have been deposited in the library. Faqir Syed Nooruddin exhibited paintings during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in which numerous painters were brought from Lucknow, Kangra and Jammu and Kashmir. Even today many paintings are attributed to him. Besides, books and letters are very important masterpieces. Historical coins are also present in the Gandhara civilization. There are several masterpieces of wood, ivory products, brass and copper, as well as many artifacts of Islamic art or calligraphy in addition to furniture.

This Sadat family settled in the eighteenth century from Och-Sharif to Chunni Tehsil in Kasur district and then to Lahore. During this period he established a madrassa outside Bhatti Gate, where religious and worldly education was taught. This pillow was known as Ghulam Shah. This treasure of artefacts is preserved despite being passed down from generation to generation. Faqir Syed Nooruddin gave his son Faqir Syed Qamaruddin, and he gave his son Faqir Syed Jalaluddin and increased it. After that, Faqir Syed Jalaluddin gave his son Faqir Syed Mughisuddin. His son Faqir Saeeduddin is currently in charge of the museum. The love of antiques lies in the blood of this family. Whoever handed over these antiquities after Faqir Syed Nooruddin not only protected them with full responsibility, but also increased them. Thus for nearly two and a half years, the family has been taking care of these relics.

The family was the official physician of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Maharaja cheerfully gave them many valuable and valuable antique items, which have been kept in Lahore Faqir Khan Museum. One eye of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had been bad since childhood, and when the other eye also started to deteriorate, he called for the royal ruling. The rulers included Faqir Syed Ghulam Mohiuddin, an elder of the family Sadat, who told Ranjit Singh that his son Faqir Syed Azizuddin would treat him. He was accompanied by Hakim Hakim Rai and Hakim Bishan Das. When the treatment of the Maharaja began, impressed by the personality of Faqir Syed Azizuddin, the Maharaja asked him to assist him in government affairs as well. He was in the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh; Maharaja was impressed with his services. Faqir Syed Azizuddin's younger brothers Faqir Syed Imamuddin and Faqir Syed Nooruddin were also with him. With his intelligence, Faqir Syed Nooruddin was appointed governor of Lahore. They were all mad as well, with more antiquities accumulating in the period, though the relics were already inherited in the family.

In 1901 the Faqir Khana was opened to the common people, even today people from different regions of the world come to see it. According to the diary of the tourists at the monastery, more than three million people have visited the museum so far. In 1974, Syed Mughisuddin granted more than 500 antiquities to the Lahore Museum so that he could be safe and to benefit from the public. After the death of Faqir Syed Mughisuddin, his Begum Kishore Jahan maintained the Faqir Museum as his own children. Keeping one thing in its original state, safe from seasonal effects and termites, is not just in the big institutions, but the Begum teenager, who earnestly defended one thing and highlighted its importance. The monastery museum is open to the public. Scholar, researcher, tourist, student and historian all come to see this museum. It is the only private museum in Pakistan, where in addition to the relics, details of the court proceedings of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his followers are also present. There are also coins and Gandhara art specimens dating to 400 years ago.