Places in Bahawalpur City

Places To Visit


Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur is 889 kms from Karachi. The founder of the state of Bahawalpur was Nawab Bahawal Khan Abbasi I. The Abbasi family ruled over the State for more than 200 years (1748 to 1954).

During the rule of the last Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V, Bahawalpur State was merged with Pakistan in 1954. Bahawalpur was formerly the capital of the state and now is the District and Divisional Headquarters of Bahawalpur Division.

Places In Bahawalpur

Central Library

It is housed in a building having fine architectural value. The foundation stone of this building was laid by the then Governor and Viceroy of India Sir Rufus Daniel Issacs on March 8, 1924 to mark the installation of Late Nawab of Bahawalpur, Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V. The Central Library was established in 1947 in this building. It has a vast collection of books and manuscripts. It is one of the best libraries in Pakistan and visited by students and scholars from within the country and abroad.

Bahawalpur Museum

Bahawalpur has a modest museum having a fine collection of coins, medals, postage stamps of former State of Bahawalpur, manuscripts, documents, inscriptions, wood carvings, camel skin paintings, historical models and stone carving etc. of Islamic and pre-Islamic period. There is a complete set of medals of all classes issued by the ex-state to its military officers/civilians and to other important citizens of the ex-State.

The Zoological Garden

The zoological garden of Bahawalpur is considered to be one of best in the country. Spread over an area of 25 acres of land, it has an interesting collection of 120 animals and 750 birds of tropical areas, particularly those found in this region. The zoo has the distinction of occasional breeding of lions and supply of beasts to other zoos in the country. It also has an aquarium and a good collection of stuffed rare birds and animals.

Adamwahan Bridge

Bahawalpur is also the site of the Adamwahan (Empress) Bridge, the only railway bridge over the Sutlej River in Pakistan.

Palaces

Two of the three palaces of the Nawabs - the Nur Mahal and Gulzar Mahal - are located in Bahawalpur.

An Italian-style Nur Mahal palace of the ex-rulers of Bahawalpur, a small museum, and Gulzar Mahal, which presents beautiful synthesis of traditional and Islamic architecture, are worth seeing.

Patt

East of Bahawalpur is the Patt, or Bar, a tract of land considerably higher than the adjoining valley. It is chiefly desert irrigated by the Sutlej inundation canals and yields crops of wheat, cotton, and sugarcane.

Dring Stadium

Bahawalpur has one of the best Stadiums in Pakistan having fine cricket ground, two football grounds, one basketball ground and six lawn tennis courts and a covered swimming pool. The hockey stadium is considered to be the second best in the country after Karachi stadium. It can accommodate 13,000 people. It is at this stadium that the great Hanif Muhammad known as the 'little master' in cricket made 499 not out in first class cricket, which remained an unbeaten record in the world for a very long time.

Shrine of Muluk Shah

The Shrine of Muluk Shah, a popular saint of his time, is located in the city and visited by devotees on every Thursday, Ashura and Eid days. A small fair is also held here annually.

Jamia Masjid Al-Sadiq

It was made by Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V at the elevation of more than 12 feet from earth. It can house 50,000 to 60,000 people at a time, during the Eid festivals. It is a well reputed mosque in Pakistan.

Educational Institutions

The city is the seat of several educational institutions such as:

» Islamia University established in 1975
» Quaid-e Azam Medical College
» Sadiq Public School (SPS)
» Sadiq Egerton College
» Other Govt. Institutes (Schools and Colleges)
» In fact, Bahawalpur is an important agricultural training and educational center.