The Hiran Minar is a hunting complex located north of Sheikhupura town. This tower is 70' high. Hunting grounds were an important part of the physical environment of the Mughal emperors, and the Hiran Minar is one of the best known and most beautiful of such sites. The structures consist of a large, almost-square water tank with an octagonal pavilion in its center, built during the reign of Shah Jahan; a causeway with its own gateway connects the pavilion with the mainland and a 100-foot-high minar, or minaret. At the center of each side of the tank, a brick ramp slopes down to the water, providing access for royal animals and wild game.
The minar was built by Emperor Jahangir in 1606 to honor the memory of a pet hunting antelope named Mansraj. The use of stone replicas of elephant tusks to decorate this tower seems to be an example of
Akbar's pleasure in curious combinations and striking innovations. The unique features of this particular complex are the antelope's grave and the distinctive water collection system. The top of the minar is perhaps the best place in the province of Punjab to get a feel for the broader landscape and its relationship to a Mughal site.
