When it comes to history, I must confess that I’m not a big fan of details such as names, years and all sort of other numbers. I have always been interested in the stories behind the historical events and the places where these events happened.
I have always considered these places really interesting, because they hide the traces of long-forgotten times.
This interest of mine was the reason why I have always added this type of places to my trip itinerary. A proper example in this regard is the City Palace, which was the first planed city of medieval India and also the home of a lot of royal families.
Built by Maharaja Sawai Singh II, this place consists of a complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings which seem to still dominate the Old City of Jaipur. The City Palace covers quite a large area and the pleasure of walking can be easily combined with the one of exploring the interesting buildings.
After visiting this complex, I strongly believe that there are three buildings which deserve to be visited. The first one is the Mubarak Mahal, the palace of welcoming the tourists in the complex. Also called the Auspicious Palace, it shelters an interesting museum with a vast collection of royal costumes, delicate cashmere shawls, silk saris and other dresses with interesting prints and folk embroidery. The second one, the Maharani’s Palace, is the palace of the queen and it displays a very well-preserved collection of weapons and a beautiful collection of paintings. The third one is the Chandra Mahal, a beautiful building that is still home to the last ruling royal family.
I could say a lot of other things about the City Palace, but words are not enough to portray the essence of this place. This is why you should take a look at the following pictures and decide for yourself if this place is worth visiting.