Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur ( urdu بہاولپور, also Bhawalpur ) is a city in the southern Pakistani province of Punjab. It lies on the northern edge of the Cholistan desert, a few kilometers south of the river Satluj and approximately 60 kilometers east of its confluence with the Chanab to Panjnad. With a population of around 600,000 (calculation, as of 1 January 2007) is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan.

Bahawalpur was founded in 1748 by Nawab Muhammad Khan Bahawal I., a governor of the Mughal Empire and named after him. Since the family has its origin attributed to the Abbasids, the city was also Baghdād al - Jadid ( بغداد الجديد, New Baghdad ') called. Up until integration in Pakistan 1947, she was the capital of the princely state of Bahawalpur. Since 1955, Bahawalpur is part of the province of Punjab. From the time of Nawabs many important monuments is preserved, including the former seat of power Only Mahal, the Central Library, the sechstorige city wall and several mausoleums.

The city is today an important regional trade center for agricultural and textile products. First of its artisanal cotton and silk fabrics, footwear, ceramics, carpets, embroideries and soap are made. There are also several presses cottonseed oil. Bahawalpur has a railway terminal and a domestic airport. Since 1975 it is also the seat of a university ( Islamia University of Bahawalpur ).