Noor Mahal
Italianate Palace Of The Nawabs Of Bahawalpur, Completed 1875; Now Owned By The Pakistan Army And Open To Visitors · Bahawalpur, Punjab
Noor Mahal is the most famous of the palaces of Bahawalpur, built for the Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV and completed in 1875 in an Italianate style with Islamic details: a white building with domes, arcades and a grand staircase, set in wide lawns. Bahawalpur was a rich princely state, and its Abbasi Nawabs built lavishly; the story often told is that the Nawab's bride spent only one night in the palace, because she saw the graveyard next door from her window, and never returned. Whether or not it is true, the palace was used for state guests rather than as a home. After Bahawalpur joined Pakistan the palace passed to the Pakistan Army, which restored it and opened it to visitors, with rooms of period furniture, royal photographs and portraits. It is lit up in the evenings and popular with local families. Noor Mahal is the easiest way to see the Nawabs' world, since Derawar Fort is privately owned and the other palaces are mostly closed, and it makes a natural base stop for Derawar, Uch Sharif and the Cholistan desert.
Noor Mahal, Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
Open daily to visitors, from morning into the evening, with a ticket and a higher foreigners' rate. As an army-owned property it may close for official functions. Bahawalpur has an airport with domestic flights and is about an hour and a half from Multan by road.