The solid brick foundations of Lahore Fort were laid in 1566 under the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great on the location of an earlier mud-fort.

[4] Later, Shah Jahan converted the fort into a pleasure resort and added Diwan-i-Khas, Moti Masjid, Naulakha Pavilion, sleeping chambers, and Sheesh Mahal in to the complex.

The chamber was exclusively used for private council meetings as part of the daily routine of the emperor, whereas the whole block was only accessible to the imperial princes, the vizier, and selected courtiers.

[4] Kangra style frescoes were also added during his reign, and the original entrance to the Sheesh Mahal quadrangle was closed off and the Athdara built in its place.

[8] The decorative features also include stucco tracery (munabat kari) and carved marble screens in geometrical and tendril designs.

[1] The additional constructions carried out during the subsequent Sikh and British rules of Punjab on the top of Sheesh Mahal added to the dead load that made the structure vulnerable to collapse.

[10] In 1975, Sheesh Mahal was listed as a protected monument under the Antiquities Act by Pakistan's Department of Archaeology whereas in 1981, as part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it became inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.