The tomb of Anarkali is one the most significant buildings of the Mughal period. It is an ingeniously planned octagonal building, and is a memorial of the love-legend of Prince Saleem ( Later emperor Jahangir). According to a popular legend, Nadira Begum, with the title of ‘Anarkali’, belonged to the harem of Emperor Akbar. Suspecting Jahangir’s intense passion for the beautiful Anarkali, Akbar ordered Anarkali to be burried alive in a brick wall. She died in 1599 AD, and her tomb was later constructed by Jahangir n 1615 AD. Circular in shape and roofed by a lofty dome, the tomb once surrounded a garden, ‘Anarkali Garden’, but during the last couple of hundred years it has put to several uses. Under the Sikhs, the mausoleum was occupied by Kharak Singh. Later, it served as the residence of the Italian General Ventura, of Ranjit Singh,s army. Under the British, the tomb was converted into a Christian Church. Since 1891 AD, it has been used as Punjab Archives Museum with an amazing treasure for those interested in the history of British Punjab.
