Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Welcome to Bahawalpur, a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan with a rich history and architectural legacy. Founded in 1748 by Nawab Bahawal Khan I, the city was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, ruled by the Abbasi family of Nawabs until 1955. Today, Bahawalpur is known for its monuments dating from that period, including the Noor Mahal palace and the Darbar Mahal. But Bahawalpur is more than just a city of history and culture. It is also the gateway to the nearby Lal Suhanra National Park, one of South Asia’s largest national parks and a UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve. The park boasts a diverse landscape, including desert, forest, and wetland ecosystems, and is home to a variety of wildlife, such as blackbuck, rabbits, and deer. In addition to its natural beauty, Bahawalpur is a thriving commercial center, known for its crops of cotton, sugarcane, wheat, sunflower seeds, rape/mustard seed, rice, and fruits like mangoes, citrus, dates, and guavas. The city is also home to a number of industries, such as cotton ginning and pressing, flour mills, oil mills, textile spinning, and poultry feed. Bahawalpur’s handicrafts are also famous, such as its carpets, embroidery, and pottery. The city has a number of museums and cultural centers, such as the Bahawalpur Museum, which houses archaeology, art, heritage, modern history, and religion galleries, and the Craft Development Centre, where visitors can purchase locally made handicrafts. The city’s infrastructure includes a railway station, which connects Bahawalpur to major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar, and the Empress Bridge, a historic rail crossing over the Sutlej River. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, nature, or commerce, Bahawalpur has something for everyone. Come and discover this hidden gem of Pakistan for yourself!