Arching gracefully over Hussainabad Trust Road in Lajpat Nagar, Rumi Darwaza is one of the oldest and most famous structures of the city. At first glance, the unassuming daily crowds and the occasional roadblocks shroud the true significance of this iconic building. But it stands, strong and ever-so imposing, beating the test of time and modernisation. This majestic gateway speaks volumes of the heritage and ancestry of the locale. In every sense of the word, Rumi Darwaza is a gateway to Old Lucknow.
The history of Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow dates back 238 years when it was built in 1784, at the behest of the then Nawab of Awadh - Asaf-ud-Daula. Following the death of his father in 1775, he became the nawab at the young age of 26. Raised under the shadow of his mother and grandmother, the famous Begums of Oudh who amassed wealth and administrative power with the help of the British, Asaf-ud-Daula wanted to break away and build his own empire. Lucknow was, at that time, just a small town.
His plan to elevate this lesser-known town into a stately capital that rivalled the princely Islamic cities of the time, was the start of its ascension to glory. Designed by the Persian architect Kifayatullah, Rumi Darwaza was built to surpass the Sublime Porte, Bab-iHümayun in Turkey and clearly reflects the love and regard that nawab Asaf held for art and culture.
The history of Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow dates back 238 years when it was built in 1784, at the behest of the then Nawab of Awadh - Asaf-ud-Daula. Following the death of his father in 1775, he became the nawab at the young age of 26. Raised under the shadow of his mother and grandmother, the famous Begums of Oudh who amassed wealth and administrative power with the help of the British, Asaf-ud-Daula wanted to break away and build his own empire. Lucknow was, at that time, just a small town.
His plan to elevate this lesser-known town into a stately capital that rivalled the princely Islamic cities of the time, was the start of its ascension to glory. Designed by the Persian architect Kifayatullah, Rumi Darwaza was built to surpass the Sublime Porte, Bab-iHümayun in Turkey and clearly reflects the love and regard that nawab Asaf held for art and culture.
