Bagh-e Bala Palace

Bagh-e Bala visible in the distance
Aerial view of the palace and gardens around it
The palace can be seen in the distance

The Bagh-e Bala Palace is a former royal palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. It is located at a hilltop in the Bagh-e Bala (باغ بالا, High Garden) park near Karte Parwan. It was built by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan in 1893 as a place for him to spend summers in, and he later died there in 1901.[1] The palace has a large pool (added in the 1970s) and is surrounded by pine trees.[2] It was then used as a castle under Emir Habibullah Khan and then as a guesthouse. In 1919 it housed the National Museum of Afghanistan before the collection was moved elsewhere, and the palace became a military house under King Amanullah Khan. After being abandoned by 1930, it was renovated and turned into a restaurant under King Zahir Shah in the 1960s.[3][4] The palace survived the civil war of the 1990s. It was renovated again in the 2000s and 2010s, with its interior preserved to look like the original 19th century design,[5][6] but it is currently not in official use. The area around the palace (Bagh-e Bala) has become a large public park. The palace was also the location where American historians Nancy and Louis Dupree married in 1966.[7]

References

  1. "Bagh-e-Bala Pavilion, Kabul".
  2. "Tourism in Afghanistan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Islamic Republic of Afghanistan". mfa.gov.af.
  3. http://afghanistantimes.af/bagh-e-bala-palace-regains-its-colors/
  4. 2009, (c) Zahra Breshna Consulting,. "Zahra Breshna Consulting - Architects + Urban Planners - Kabul - Berlin". www.breshna-consulting.com.
  5. "- Baghe Bala". gallery.afghanculturalheritage.org.
  6. "Bagh-e-Bala Restaurant - Wikimapia". wikimapia.org.
  7. The Best American Magazine Writing 2015 by The American Society of Magazine Editors

See also

Coordinates: 34°32′24″N 69°07′48″E / 34.539994°N 69.129933°E / 34.539994; 69.129933

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