Darbar Mahal, Royal palace in Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Darbar Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur featuring pink walls, large arched windows, and carved ornamental details in Indo-Saracenic style. The building spreads across extensive green grounds and draws attention through its decorative elements and proportions.
The palace was built in 1905 during Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan IV's reign and served as lodging for dignitaries visiting from princely states. Its creation reflects the era when such places were key meeting points for regional leaders.
The Nawab family shaped this place, and the rooms hold furniture brought from across Europe by collectors with refined tastes. The furnishings tell of the connections between this region and Western countries.
The grounds are open to visitors daily, and guided tours explain the architecture and design features in different languages. It helps to arrive early in the day to fully experience the changing light patterns inside the building.
Glass panels above the central hall filter natural light through carefully positioned openings, creating shifting brightness effects. This design shows how builders used light as an architectural tool to animate different spaces throughout the day.
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