Noor Mahal

Noor Mahal was completed in 1875 for Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV, designed by an English engineer in a firmly European idiom: an Italianate two-storey block with corner towers, arcaded verandas, a central dome and a symmetry that owes nothing to Mughal tradition. The interior carries chandeliers, moulded ceilings and imported fittings of the period. The best-known story about it is that the nawab's wife spent a single night in it, saw an adjoining graveyard from her window, and refused to return, after which the palace stood largely unused; whether or not that is true, it was never a permanent residence. It served state functions, passed to the army in the twentieth century, and is now maintained and open to the public. Bahawalpur has two more palaces of the same dynasty, Gulzar Mahal and Darbar Mahal, though public access to those is limited.

What you actually see

• The Italianate facade - corner towers, verandas and a central dome.
• State rooms - chandeliers, ceilings and period furnishings inside.
• The gardens - formal grounds around the palace.
• Bahawalpur's other palaces - Gulzar and Darbar Mahal in the city.

When to go

November to February; Bahawalpur summers are extreme. Evenings bring illumination of the facade, which is popular locally. Weekdays are quieter than weekends, and the palace closes on some public holidays.

Honest expectations

Only part of the interior is open and photography inside is restricted in places. It is a compact visit of an hour or two. The other palaces in the city are generally closed to visitors, which surprises people who plan a palace circuit. The surrounding city has limited visitor facilities.

Nearby

Lal Suhanra National Park is east; Derawar and Cholistan lie south.