IN MEMORY OF MIAN SALAH MIMAR CHUGHATA
DIED ON 11TH MAY 1858 CHABUK SAWARAN LAHORE

LIVED FOR 120 YEARS, REMEMBERED EVEN TODAY

The history of the Mimar family of Lahore starts from Ustad Yusuf Burkurwdar, who was a student of Ustad Sinan in Turkey. Along with his friend Ustad Issa Mimar, the two architects travelled with Emperor Zahiruddin Babar and landed in Lahore. Ustad Yusuf got married here in Lahore and to him was born Ahmad, who later turned out to be Ustad Ahmad Mimar Lahori, the prodigal architect, who designed the Taj Mahal of Agra. But here we are talking of Salah Mimar.

It was an age where sons often followed the profession of their fathers, or ventured into related fields. A lot of monuments of Lahore as well as other places, in the 18th and 19th century, owe their aesthetics to the marvel of this very simple man. Salah Mimar was loved and respected by people for his grasp of Islamic history, knowledge and civilization. He was a born story teller and he enriched the brains of his children with past tales of grandeur and patronage.

Salah Mimar had two sons, namely Elahi Baksh (Natha) Mimar and Raheem Baksh Mimar. Both qualified as architects too, in the city of Lahore. Raheem Baksh had two children, Kareem Baksh and Karam un nisa. Karam un nisa was married to cousin Baba Miran Baksh Naqash of Wazeer Khan Mosque. Kareem Baksh Mimar was of course the father of Abdur Rahman Chughtai.

An architect who surevived the War of Independence of 1857, must have died with the dream of seeing an independent Muslim nation again. Today Pakistan is a reality which he would have understood well. We pray for his soul 158 years after his death. Well remembered and well loved!