Noor Mahal I Bahawalpur I The Stunning Palace of Nawabs I Monument of Love or Royal Guest House

#bahawalpur #noormahal #abbasid
Noor Mahal I Bahawalpur I The Stunning Palace of Nawabs I Monument of Love or Royal Guest House

Videography: Waqas Gul
@explorepakistanbywaqasgul2776
Music: Binu Kumar, Kerala, India [Sound SFX]

Entering Bahawalpur, the road leads to the stunning Noor Mahal – the palace built by the fifth ruler of Bahawalpur State Nawab Sir Muhammad Sadiq or the ‘Shahjehan of Bahawalpur’, who is renowned for his passion of constructing beautiful buildings.

This beautiful building inspired by Italian construction style is one of the hidden gems of Bahawalpur and was built by a British Engineer named Heenan in 1875 at a cost of Rs1.2 million.

The palace is known for its colourful, exquisite exterior made of cut and dressed bricks that make this a unique piece of historical architecture. Noor Mahal’s distinguishing architectural feature is the use of five domes built in the traditional style. Since its construction, the palace shot Bahawalpur’s popularity among tourists, who throng the site every day to have a glimpse of the vintage marvel.

Noor Mahal is one of the latest monuments in Punjab that was placed under the antiquities act. It was built for the residence of Nawab Sir Muhammad Sadiq. However, he did not live in the palace as the royals did not prefer to live near a graveyard – the Basti Muluk Shah Graveyard was located a few metres away.

The palace was later used as the state guest house. During his tenure, the Nawab also held occasional cabinet meetings in Noor Mahal. On some occasions, the palace was used as the State Court with the Nawab addressing his courtiers and the army during wars.

Mr. Heennan, an Englishman who was the state engineer, designed the building. The foundation of Noor Palace was laid in 1872. A map and coins of the state were buried in its foundation as a good omen. Most of the palace's materials and furniture were imported from England and Italy. The construction of the palace was completed in 1875 at a cost of Rs. 1.2 million. Considering the amount of silver in the Indian Rupee Coin at 11.66 Grams in 1862, this amount in 2023 would come to about 2.68 billion US dollars. Noor Palace covers an area of 44,600 square feet (4,140 m2). It has 32 rooms including 14 in the basement, 6 verandas and 5 domes.

The design encompasses features of Corinthian and Islamic styles of architecture with a tinge of sub continental style. The Corinthian touch is visible in the columns, balustrade, pediments and the vaulted ceiling of Durbar Hall. The Islamic style is evident in the five domes, whereas the angular elliptical shapes are a stroke of subcontinent style. Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan the fifth added a mosque to the palace in 1906 at the cost of Rs. 20,000. The design is based on the mosque of Aitchison College.

In 1956, when Bahawalpur State was merged into Pakistan, the building was taken over by the Auqaf department. The palace was leased to the army in 1971; in 1997 the army purchased it for the sum of 119 million. The army took almost two years restoring some its past glory. It has now been protected under the Antiquities Act of 1975, the latest monument to be so preserved in the Punjab. The notification has, however failed to attract funds for its necessary conservation. The building is still in army’s possession. The best use option being weighted for the nineteenth century monument include a hotel, a museum and public park.

Precious moments
On January 11, 1890, Prince Albert Victor visited Noor Mahal as a guest
On December 22, 1892, Sir McOrth Beck, who served as a senior finance commissioner of Punjab, stayed at the palace for three days with his family
On May 11, 1897, Queen Victoria’s 60th birthday was celebrated at the palace
On February 9, 1933, a historical function was held to celebrate the union of British Government and Bahawalpur State
On March 8, 1934, 10-year jubilee celebrations were arranged by the State of Bahawalpur at Noor Mahal

Follow us on:
Facebook:
  / ​.  .
Twitter:
  / gilanilogs  
Instagram:
  / zulfiqargil.  .