Name of Monument: Maqbara Sharf un Nisa
Location: Begumpura
Date of construction: 1745
Materials of construction and finishes: Brickwork, glazed tiles
Tomb of Shaf un Nisa. Saru wala Maqbara is the tomb of Begum Sharf un Nisa, sister-in-law of Nawab Zakariya Khan, governor of Lahore during the reign of Emperor Mohammad Shah. It is the last Mughal period tomb built in Begumpura in 1745 AD in the midst of a large garden. The tomb tower with battered walls is unique in Pakistan and probably inspired by the tomb towers of Iran. The façade is decorated with cypress motifs and on this basis also commonly called Saru wala maqbara. Square in the plan, the tomb is a solid, tower-like tapering brick structure with projected eave or chajja supported on pair of four brackets near the springing point of the square pyramidal dome. The drum has a low neck. A band of glazed tiles runs around the neck of the dome. It is embellished with the attributes of Allah. The idea behind such a structure is that the view of the grave of the lady should be kept out of the view of the public. The ladies’ graves were kept out of the eyes of males therefore their graves were either kept in the subterranean chamber of above the eye level. The subterranean tomb chambers, in Lahore, are Nur Jahan and the mother of Ali Mardan Khan.
Naqoosh-e-Javidan 