Castle Map

Palace

Zafar Mahal

India · 18th century

Founded
c. 1750
Architect
Akbar Shah II
Heritage status
Monument of National Importance
Location
South Delhi district
Coordinates
28.5158°, 77.1775°
Open on the map →Wikipedia ↗
Zafar Mahal in India
Photo: Ekabhishek · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Zafar Mahal, in Mehrauli village, in South Delhi, India, is considered as the last monumental structure built as a summer palace during the fading years of the Mughal era. The building has two components namely, the Mahal or the palace, which was built first by Akbar Shah II in the 18th century, and the entrance gate that was reconstructed in the 19th century by Bahadur Shah Zafar II, popularly known as "Zafar" (the nom de plume of Bahadur Shah II) meaning ‘Victory’. It has a forlorn history because Bahadur Shah Zafar, who wished to be buried in the precincts of the Zafar Mahal (palace) and the famous Dargah of Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in Mehrauli, Delhi, was deported by the British to Rangoon after the failed Revolt of 1857, where he died of old age.

The monument today is in a neglected and ruined state, locals play cricket and gamble freely inside the protected monument. The 18th-century palace has been all but subsumed by unauthorised constructions.

Text adapted from “Zafar Mahal (Mehrauli)” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Zafar Mahal ranks #4,320 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #159 of the 223 mapped in India. Founded c. 1750, it is older than 16% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 685 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,355 times in the last 60 days, more than 59% of the atlas. 9 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Delhi, 17 km away. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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