Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan still exist between the Delhi gate and Pak gate and in between them is famous bastion called Khooni Burj of Multan

A tanga with old Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Bloody Bastion in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

A horse with Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Stairs made in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Path made in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

A man with a baby along with Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan Bastions visible

Qasim gate Multan

Bohar gate in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Delhi gate in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

Haram gate in Faseel e Multan or City Wall of Mooltan

   

FASEEL (WALLED CITY)

Monument
THE CITY WALL
Location
Walled city, ALUNG ROAD / CIRCULAR ROAD.
Status
NON-LISTED
Owner
City District Government, Multan.
Use
FORMER: CITY DEFENSIVE WALL.
PRESENT: (Portion of the Old City Wall between Delhi Gate and Pak Gate.
Period / Date
1170 AH/1756 AD.
Historical Notes
It is generally believed by all historians that the Wall had existed ever since the foundation of the City. It is also commonly believed, but without any proof, that it was the same wall that was scaled by Alexander the Great in 326 BC at the point of Khuni Burj which ultimately ended up in ruthless killing of most of the inhabitants of the city at the hands of Greek army - hence its name Khuni Burj (Bloody Bastion) right from the beginning. However, history records confirm that the City-Wall is definitely earlier than the 18th century and that it was rebuilt in 1170 AH/1756 AD by Nawab Ali Muhammed Khan Khawkan, the Governor of Multan on behalf of Ahmad Shah Abdali. This rebuilt wall was considerably high. According to Elphinston (1808) it was four and a half miles in circuit and 40 to 50 feet high. Vigne, on the other hand says it was only 35 feet high in 1836. The city wall had 6 gates with Bohar gate on the west and Dehli Gate on the east; Lahori Gate and Daulat Gate are located on the north facing the Fort Wall. Haram Gate and Pak Gate are on the south. In any case, all European travelers who visited Multan during the first half of the 18th century found the City Wall in quite a dilapidated condition (Burnes in 1836) and in a decayed state (Vigne in 1836). From a statement of Dunlop we get the impression that the Sikh Government repaired this wall extensively in view of the impending attack of the British Army. Only Elphinston who visited the city in 1808 records that the city had rectangular bastions at regular intervals. One of these bastions now survive in the name of Khuni Burj – but then it is circular form. - A shape probably given by the British when they rebuilt the City Wall after 1849. S. M. Latif is the first historian who informs us that when the City Wall was rebuilt by the British with its height reduced considerably on sanitary grounds (Latif 51-52).
Description / Main Features
The city wall only exists in portions and probably nowhere it retains its original features particularly towards the top. As the city expanded, it was demolished in parts and rebuilt at many occasions. The wall suffered mostly during the Sikh British War of 1849 and was rebuilt during British period with reduced height.
Access / Environs
Only some portions exist between Daulat Gate and Pak Gate which have been renovated recently. Khuni Burj is also a part of this restored wall. It between the Alang Road on the inner side and the Circular Road on the outer side of the Wall.
Present Condition
As the portion of the City Wall between Daulat Gate and Pak Gate has been recently rebuilt, the present condition of this portion is quite sound and gives neat and clean look. At most of the other places, the wall is totally missing and the space where it once stood has been encroached upon by buildings and shops.
Proposal
The rebuilt portion of the Wall must be protected through legislation and enlisting.
References
Cunningham 124-125; Nazir, 45; Latif, 36- 37, 51-52; Gazetteer 1926, 266, 268;

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Environmental Notes

• Faseel
  
• Vehicular Access / Parking
  Faseel is the outer wall of the walled city. Alang road which is at higher level than the outer and inner road levels runs along the faseel. It is easily accessible to the vehicular traffic from circular roads, along road and the road connections at the gates of the walled city. Parking is available in places along the wall.
  
• Use
  Visited by sight-seers
  
• Visitor’s facilities
  Drinking water and garbage disposal facilities at one spot along the wall
  
• Sewerage
  Open drain run along Alang road about 22’ away from the faseel. Main sewer pipes coming from inside the walled city connect to the trunk sewer running along the circular road.
  
• Drainage
  Surface drainage from the interior of the walled city drains towards the circular road which disposes it off by gravity.
  
• Electricity
  Electric wires run along the circular road and the Alang road, parallel to the faseel.
  
• Solid Waste
  Debris, solid waste slush, stagnant water at the foot of the faseel were observed, which presented an ugly picture of the faseel.
  
• External threats
  None noted .
  
• Condition Survey
  The faseel is an old load bearing brick masonry structure which has been renovated / supported by veneering 27” to 54” thick brick wall on the outer side of the old existing faseel. The present status of the renovated faseel is stable, safe and sound.
  

Delhi Gate Multan

Located on Alang Road in the Faseel i Multan and exists between Dolat Gate and Khuni Burj Multan. An auto rikshaw or taxi can bring you here.

Delhi Gate Multan

This Gate was originally a part of the City Wall when it was built for the first time in the 17th century by the orders of Prince Murad Bakhsh and then repaired and rebuilt in 1756 by Muhammad Ali Khan Khakwani. It is said that inside Delhi Gate were once the spacious palaces and gardens of Nawab Saeed Khan Qureshi in a place where his tomb stands today. Was attacked by the British army on 29th December 1848 and subsequent complete destruction of it. When British Raj was established and peace restored, this Gate was also rebuilt but now not to defend the city from an enemy but as a memorial to the fighting that took place here in 1848.
Interesting note about this gate is it faces straight towards Delhi if you see on maps.

Delhi gate of Multan Satellite photos shows its direction toward Delhi


 

Multan: Delhi Gate

Delhi Gate of Multan Pakistan

Delhi Gate of Multan

Delhi Gate of Multan

Close up Delhi Gate of Multan

Things related to Delhi Gate are

• Dharamshala Bhai Dayal Singh
• Chowk Bazar
• Masjid Phool Hathan
• Khuni Burj

 Location Map

View Historic Delhi Gate Multan in Larger Map


     

DELHI GATE

Monument
DELHI GATE
Location
DELHI GATE / ALUNG ROAD / CIRCULAR ROAD
Status
NON – LISTED.
Owner
MCM
Use
FORMER: GATEWAY
PRESENT GATEWAY.
Period / Date
BRITISH PERIOD.
Historical Notes
This Gate was originally a part of the City Wall when it was built for the first time in the 17th century by the orders of Prince Murad Bakhsh and then repaired and rebuilt in 1756 by Muhammad Ali Khan Khakwani. It is said that inside Delhi Gate were once the spacious palaces and gardens of Nawab Saeed Khan Qureshi in a place where his tomb stands today. Saeed Qureshi was a favorite courtier of Prince Murad Bakhsh, the fourth son of Shah Jahan. This Gate has been prominently mentioned in the accounts of the Siege of Multan which took place in 1848 and ended in January 1849. John Dunlop has provided an interesting account of the attack on this Gate by the British army on 29th December 1848 and subsequent complete destruction of it. He has also published a litho showing how complete was the destruction of Delhi Gate as a result of this breach (plate at p. 67). The wall attached with Delhi Gate was about 30 feet high. “Upon passing the broken ground and ruined outworks of the gate under a heavy fire of matchlocks descended a deep hollow, and found to their surprise the city wall in front, about thirty feet in height, un-breached, and totally impracticable, being from the nature of the ground, fairly concealed from view until directly upon it”, writes Dunlop (30). When British Raj was established and peace restored, this Gate was also rebuilt but now not to defend the city from an enemy but as a memorial to the fighting that took place here in 1848.
Description / Main Features
It is a free standing structure standing in the middle of an open space at the meeting place of several roads. It looks like a memorial rather than part of a city wall guarding an entry point. Delhi Gate is one of the old landmarks of the city considering a gate had existed here even before the coming of the British. The present gate was rebuilt during the British Raj. Its construction is similar to Haram Gate and Bohar Gate except that its arch has a wider span than that of the Haram Gate.
Access / Environs
The gate can be approached both from Alang Road and Circular Road. Its environs are densely populated with houses and shops.
Present Condition
The gate has been conserved with deep struck pointing. However, banners, posters and encroachments destroy the majesty of this historical building.
INTERVENTIONS
The greatest intervention in Delhi Gate took place when the original Mughal period Gate was completely destroyed during the Siege of the city in December 1848 and then, after an interval of a few years, was rebuilt in the style of European architecture with church windows. However, it is not known if any further intervention took place between 1854 and 1990 when the first survey of monuments of Multan was undertaken by the Multan Development Authority. The present restoration took place at the same time when the renovation of the Walled City between Delhi Gate and Pak Gate took place between July 2006 and 2008.
Proposal
No immediate repair work is needed. Cleaning and removal of Banners, posters and electric cables.
References
Latif, 38, 51; Wasti, 169-176, Dunlop, 26, 67; Nazir, 16, 45, 120, pl. on page 121, 125.

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Environmental Notes

• Delhi Gate
  
• Vehicular Access / Parking
  The gate is located on the eastern side of the Walled City with the ring road passing below it and the internal ring road and bazaar roads converging at the gate. Traffic passes through the Gate in large numbers; vehicles park in the area in front of the Gate and immediately adjacent to the structure.
  
• Use of Space
  The space around the gate is crowded with vendors and temporary shops; the surface of the lower portion of the historic structure is plastered with posters and advertisements. At the time of our visit a goat was being kept in one of the side chambers of the gate with ice being sold from another.
  
• Visitor Facilities
  NThere are no facilities of any kind for visitors.
  
• Electricity
  A Electricity poles are placed very near the historic structure and wiring obstructs views of the monument.
  
• Sewerage
  There are no toilet facilities and no sewerage directly associated with the gate.
  
• Drainage
  Surface water running off from the adjacent bazaar streets collects at the gate and flows towards the ring road.
  
• Solid Waste
  A lot of solid waste is generated near the gate due to the dense commercial activity and traffic. Solid waste is dumped in many corners and spots around the gate from which it is later collected by CDG staff.
  
• Pavement and surfaces
  All adjacent surfaces are blacktop bituminous roads.
  
• External threats
  TheNone recorded.
  
• Condition
  The monument is a British period brick load bearing structure of massive masonry. The top of the structure is open to the elements and potentially at risk of degrading. Overall it is stable and safe

Khuni Burj Multan - The Bloody Bastion of Multan

Khuni Burj is located at a turn in Faseel i Multan (Fortified City Wall of Multan) between Delhi gate and Pak gate. Access is very easy. Also written as Khooni Burj or Khooni Boorj. Whatever spelling means Bloody Tower is a bastion in city wall of Multan.

Multan: Khuni Burj The Bloody Tower of Multan

Khuni Burj which the British termed as Bloody Bastion is as old as the Fortification wall of the city. But Sikhs appears to have given it special prominence because it was here at this site on Jan,2,1849 that they could defend both wings namely the Delhi Gate on one side and Pak Gate on the other side in the war against the British. It was here the bloodiest encounter between the Sikh and British forces. Breach of the Khuni Burj was the key to the final conquest of the city of Multan.

Local traditions claim that it was here that Alexander the Great scaled the walls of city of Malloi and was wounded severely and it was here that the Greek army took full revenge from local population..

Multan: High resolution photo of Khooni Burj the bloody bastion of Multan

Location Map
It is situated in between the Delhi Gate and Pak Gate

View Khooni Burj in a Larger Map

BBC Documetary Made on Khooni Buraj Multan

 

KHUNI BURJ (BLOODY TOWER)

MONUMENT
KHUNI BURJ (BLOODY TOWER)
LOCATION
BETWEEN DELHI GATE AND PAK GATE CIRCULAR ROAD, KHUNI BURJ AREA
STATUS
NON – LISTED / NON – PROTECTED
OWNER
District Government
USE
FORMER: BASTION OF THE OLD CITY WALL
PRESENT: PARTLY USED AS IMAMBARGAH AND PARTLY AS TERRACE
PERIOD / DATE
18TH CENTURY REBUILT AFTER 1849.
HISTORICAL NOTES
Khuni Burj which the British termed as Bloody Bastion is as old as the Fortification wall of the city. But Sikhs appears to have given it special prominence because it was here at this site on Jan,2,1849 that they could defend both wings namely the Delhi Gate on one side and Pak Gate on the other side in the war against the British. Local traditions claim that it was here that Alexander the Great scaled the walls of city of Malloi and was wounded severely and it was here that the Greek army took full revenge from local population.. But, certainly in 1848 it was the Sikh army which defended the city of Multan from the heights of this Burj and with held its possession from going into the hands of British for long time. It was here again that the bloodiest encounter between the Sikh and British forces took place on the first January 1849 followed by a ruthless massacre of the Sikh soldiers. Breach of the Khuni Burj was the key to the final conquest of the city of Multan. It was completely destroyed during the Siege of 1848 and the present structure was raised after the rule of the British Government was established. But when exactly it was reconstructed, is not known. The date of the construction of the present day Imam Bargah is also unknown.
DESCRIPTION / MAIN FEATURES.
It is circular mass of rubble bound by bricks. A curving flight of steps, from the western side of the Burj leads up to the upper level.
ACCESS / ENVIRONS
Khuni Burj is approached by Circular Road. It is set in the city wall corner along the Circular road.
PRESENT CONDITION
Despite the fact that the structure has been recently reconstructed and restored the lower part of the Burj is in a state of dilapidation. Encroachments have taken place at the top of the Burj with an Imam Bargah.
INTERVENTIONS
It was completely destroyed during the Siege of 1848 and the present structure was raised after the rule of the British Government was established. But when exactly it was reconstructed, is not known. The date of the construction of the present day Imam Bargah is also not known. But certainly it has been there prior to 1972 as can be confirmed from a photograph published by Huq (between p. 184-185. The same photo shows that the Burj was in pretty good shape and without any encroachment till 1972. However, when M/s GHK and INNOVATIVE carried out their survey of important buildings of this city, they found the lower part of the Burj in a state of dilapidation with some encroachments on the top of the Burj. The structure has been reconstructed in the 1990’s as part of the conservation plan by the city government. The necessary work for rebuilding and repair of the Burj was initiated in July 2006 and has since then been completed. At present the structure need no immediate intervention except removal of encroachments both at its base and on the top terrace and disallow pasting of posters and banners.
PROPOSALS
After recent rebuilding and repair work completed in 2006, the Burj does not need any immediate intervention. However, it certainly needs immediate attention by the authorities for preventing fresh encroachments that have started taking place at its base and for removal of encroachments on the top-terrace particularly the construction of the Imam Bargah.
REFERENCES
Huq, 184; Gazetteer, 67; Dunlop, 29 & p. 73 for a lithograph of Khuni Burj after it was breached.

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Environmental Notes

• Khuni Burj
  
• Vehicular Access and Parking
  Khuni Burj is a part of faseel and is accessible to vehicular traffic from circular road Alang road and other streets of walled city. Parking is possible on the street
  
• Use
  Its use is to purely religious. One Tazia of Muharram is placed in the room over the Khuni Burj. The original historicity of the monument which gave it its name has been lost due to the construction of the Imam Bargah.
  
• Visitor’s facilities
  There are no facilities at all for visitors except for those visiting the Imbargah.
  
• Sewerage
  Open drains run along road, approx 22’-0” away from the Khuni Burj and the connected faseel. There are no toilets or bath rooms within the premises of the Khuni Burj itself.
  
• Floors and Pavements
  Surface runoff of the Khuni Burj itself is towards the Alang Road as the floor slopes are towards it.
  
• Drainage
  Surface runoff of the Khuni Burj it self is towards the Alang road as the floor slopes are towards it.
  
• Electricity
  Electric connection was available within premises of Khuni Burj.
  
• Solid Waste
  There are no visitors to the Khuni Burj except during Muharram days. The solid waste generated during those days is placed on the Alang Road.
  
• Pavement Facilities
  Alang road and Circular roads are Blacktop Bituminous roads. The premises of the Khuni Burj accessible from Alang road are brick paved.
  
• External Threats
  None noted
  
• Condition Survey
  Outside the original wall of the Khuni Burj, a new brick masonry wall has been constructed, there by further strengthening the Khuni Burj. Hence the structure is stable, safe and sound.