The state of Bahawalpur was founded by Nawab Bahawal Khan Abbasi I, and the Abbasi family ruled it for more than 200 years, from 1748 to 1954. During the rule of the last Nawab, Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V, the state merged with Pakistan.
Formerly the state capital, Bahawalpur is now a divisional headquarters and an important market center on the crossroads between Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi. Saraiki is the local language; Urdu, Punjabi and English are widely understood.
The Nawabs left the city a legacy of grand palaces, a library, a museum and broad tree-lined roads. It is also the gateway to the Cholistan desert and its forts, and a good base for a desert safari.
Is Bahawalpur right for you?
- Suggested time
- 1 – 2 days
- Activity level
- Easy sightseeing
- Best for
- Palaces of the former princely state, and the gateway to Cholistan
- When to go
- November to February, when the days are mild and the desert is at its best. Summers are extremely hot.
Combines well withCholistanMultan
Compare Bahawalpur with another destination →Places to see
Noor Mahal
The best known of the Nawabs’ palaces, built in the 1870s in a blend of Italian and Islamic styles. Nearby stands the Darbar Mahal, another Nawab palace.
Central Library
A building of fine architecture whose foundation stone was laid in 1924; one of the best libraries in Pakistan, with a vast collection of books and rare manuscripts.
Bahawalpur Museum
Coins, medals and stamps of the former state, manuscripts, wood carving, camel-skin paintings and stone carvings from the Islamic and pre-Islamic periods.
Zoological Garden
One of the best zoos in the country, spread over 25 acres, with animals and birds of the region, an aquarium and a natural history museum.
Jamia Masjid Al-Sadiq
Built by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V on a raised platform, it can hold 50,000 worshippers during Eid.
Shrine of Muluk Shah
The shrine of a popular saint in the city, visited by devotees every Thursday and on festival days, with a small annual fair.
Uch Sharif
An ancient town 75 km away, believed to date back to 500 B.C. and possibly visited by Alexander. Famous shrines include those of Bahawal Haleem, Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari, Makhdoom Jahanian Jahangasht and Bibi Jawindi.
Lal Suhanra National Park
One of the largest national parks in South Asia, east of the city, combining desert, forest and a lake. Its wildlife includes the blackbuck, reintroduced here, as well as nilgai and many birds.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Bahawalpur has an airport and lies on the main railway line between Lahore and Karachi. Multan is about two hours away by road.
- When to go
- November to February, when the days are mild and the desert is at its best. Summers are extremely hot.
- What to buy
- Embroidered khussa shoes, Cholistani rugs and woven cloth, pottery and handicrafts from the desert villages.
Header photo: Noor Mahal — Noman Ilahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons