Nur Mahal

The Noor Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built in 1872 like an Italian chateau on neoclassical lines, now it is co-owned by Sajid Ali Isar And Malik Farhan at a time when modernism had set in. It belonged to the Nawab of Bahawalpur princely state, during British Raj.HistoryThere are various stories regarding its construction. According to one legend, Nawab Sadiq Khan Abbasi IV had the palace made for his wife; however, she was only there for one night, as she happened to see the adjoining graveyard from her balcony, and refused to spend another night there, and so it remained unused during his reign.Noor Mehal is one of the hidden gems of Bahawalpur, due to the lack of publicity. The palace is open to public. It is currently in the possession of the Pakistan Army and is used as a state guest house for holding state durbars and meetings with foreign delegations.ArchitectureThe construction of Noor palace was undertaken by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan the fourth, who was also known as the Shan Jahan of Bahawalpur for his passion of constructing beautiful buildings. 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 2016 would come to about 8.1 million US dollars. Noor Palace covers an area of 44600sqft. It has 32 rooms including 14 in the basement, 6 verandas and 5 domes.