Historic MoU Signed in Lahore: Muhammad Iqbal Museum to Be Rehabilitated with TİKA’s Support

On 27 February 2026, a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Lahore between TİKA and the Directorate General of Archaeology, Punjab, for the rehabilitation of the Muhammad Iqbal Museum (Javed Manzil).

The signing ceremony was held in the garden of Javed Manzil — the residence personally built by Muhammad Iqbal and where he spent his final years which was later converted into a museum.

The ceremony was attended by Punjab Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Muhammad Ashiq Hussain Shah Kirmani, Ministerial Secretary for Tourism, Archaeology and Museums Sakrot Amman Rana, Consul General of Türkiye in Lahore Mehmet Eymen Şimşek, TİKA Pakistan Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna, and Director General of Archaeology Punjab Zaher Abbas Malik.

Minister Kirmani emphasized the symbolic and historical importance of preserving this unique residence — both built and inhabited by Muhammad Iqbal — in cooperation with Türkiye, especially as the 150th anniversary of Muhammad Iqbal’s birth approaches.

Consul General Mehmet Eymen Şimşek noted that Allama Muhammad Iqbal is a name inseparably associated with the city of Lahore and expressed Türkiye’s great satisfaction in contributing to a project that will carry Iqbal’s legacy to future generations.

In her remarks, TİKA Pakistan Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna underlined that Muhammad Iqbal is a towering intellectual and poet whose influence transcended borders and generations across the Muslim world. She also highlighted the remarkable intellectual connection between Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Türkiye’s national poet Mehmed Akif Ersoy, noting that although they never had the opportunity to meet in person, they exchanged their works through mutual acquaintances. Mehmed Akif was known to frequently recite Iqbal’s poetry in gatherings and held deep admiration for his thought and literary genius.

The project to be implemented by TİKA represents not merely the restoration of a historic building, but a powerful cultural partnership between Türkiye and Pakistan aimed at preserving a shared intellectual heritage for future generations.