i PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE A Visual Documentation of Historical Walled City of Gujrat and Its Rehabilitation
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Date
2020
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Publisher
UMT, Lahore
Abstract
Akbari Qilla, the historic center of Gujrat, built in 1580, offers an old-world charm that fosters a
culturally rich community. Also known as Gujrat Walled city, the hustling streets, the vibrancy of
the old city life and the people who live like a close-knit family, are the heart of the city. The
transition from developing nation by modernization has led to rapid urbanization in Gujrat over
recent decades. The houses in Gujrat fort are arranged in typical neighborhood planning and are
commonly two or three stories high, with facing of brickwork. The allure, charisma and personality
of walled town of Gujrat are the outcome of different historic periods i.e. Hindus, Mughals, Sikhs
and British. The Walled town of Gujrat is about 430 years old and it is still preserved in original
form but there are deteriorations, encroachments, transformations and reconstructions. This
historical walled city is decaying and crumbling and the district government has made no actions
to conserve and protect the rich cultural inheritance for coming generations. Presently the
conditions are not very good due to negligence of users, climatic impacts and also due to long span
of time.
The research shows that the Walled city of Gujrat is on the blink of demolition not only by
customary causes but also by economic and social challenges. This research gives an idea of
architectural spaces along with the culture of local residents. It will also direct the occupants to
avoid further degradation and deterioration and provide knowledge of conservation and restoration
issues which are relevant to the historic walled fort through the collection of necessary information.
The analysis also proposes a policy to rehabilitate the urban fabric of Walled city. It is focused on
the causes of decay and deterioration with in depth photographic analysis.