Meerut’s vanishing heritage: Why its mughal treasures are crumbling away

About 80 kilometres northeast of Delhi, in western Uttar Pradesh, lies Meerut, a city woven deeply into India’s history. Yet despite its proximity to the capital and its pivotal role in events that shaped the nation, Meerut hardly features on any tourism map. Over the years, it has slipped off the tourist radar, overshadowed by its association with factories and industry.

Hidden within the old quarters and narrow, timeworn lanes, are remarkable fragments of the past. The city holds immense tourism potential, with historical and cultural landmarks such as the Clock Tower, Shahid Smarak, Shahpeer Tomb, Gandhi Bagh, and the nearby Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. Its rich heritage could easily support religious, historical, and nature-based tourism, if only it were preserved.

Yet most heritage structures in Meerut today are marked by neglect. Buildings that should have been protected now crumble quietly, and even locals are often unaware of the gems that lie in their own backyard.

Hidden Heritage

One of the city’s most significant monuments is Abu Ka Maqbara. Built in 1688, it was once the pride of Meerut—its greatest tomb and a structure comparable in scale to Delhi’s Safdarjung Tomb. Until the 1960s, it dominated photographs and postcards, though it was mistakenly named the “Mutineers’ Mosque” due to its role during the 1857 uprising. Today, this unprotected Mughal masterpiece is in severe distress: the roof sags dangerously, its gardens have turned into a squatters’ colony, and goats and buffaloes roam among the historic chhatris, some of which now house families. A once-grand monument stands on the brink of collapse.

Just ahead lies another forgotten treasure: Shah Peer’s Dargah. Tucked into the busy lanes of Old Meerut, it is one of North India’s finest, and most neglected, Mughal-era shrines. Commissioned in 1620 by Empress Nur Jahan for her trusted physician and spiritual guide Hazrat Shah Peer, it is among the oldest Mughal tombs surviving from Emperor Jahangir’s reign. Built in striking red sandstone and famed for its intricate nakkashi, the structure glows at sunset when the light hits its carved walls.

The tomb is unusual for its roofless design. Some believe the work was left incomplete after Jahangir departed for Kashmir, where he died. Others suggest Nur Jahan halted construction after a fallout with the saint. Folklore even claims that despite being open to the sky, rain never falls directly on the main chamber.

The Way Forward

Meerut’s tourism potential remains vast but unrealised. Its proximity to Delhi should have been a huge advantage, yet a lack of awareness, planning, and preservation has left its heritage to decay.

Saving these monuments requires more than occasional repairs. It calls for legal protection, consistent funding, community participation, and strong government intervention. The first step is formal recognition as many sites reportedly remain unprotected. Only when these structures move from “hidden and overlooked” to “listed and safeguarded” can real conservation begin.

A shift from fragmented, reactive fixes to a long-term, community-backed preservation system is crucial. At this point, it may be the only path through which Meerut can reclaim and protect its extraordinary legacy.