Glory of Swat’s White Palace: Carved from the same stone as the Taj Mahal
Swat Tour packages include a visit to this incredible White Palace, where you can experience its architectural grandeur and serenity. Various things keep pushing me to visit the Marghazar Valley in Swat: Mount Elum, the gorgeous emerald landscape, the sublime environment, its historical background, and, above all, the White Palace of the current era in its lap.
The Swat White Palace is located about 13 kilometers south of Saidu Sharif. The magnificent royal building sits among the lush greenery of the narrow Marghazar valley, ready to cast a magical spell over visitors as soon as they take their first step onto its grand lawn.
Swat White Palace
Lawn of White Palace
Seeing the spectacular landscape, it is a surprise in itself that the first ruler of the modern-day Swat state, Abdul Wadood, decided in 1935 to craft a royal summer destination here.
The white marbles for this building were fetched from the Jaipur marble quarry in India, the same quarry from which the Taj Mahal’s marble was utilized.
According to Miangul Shehryar Amir Zeb, who stands as the grandson of Miangul Jahanzeb (the last ruler of Swat), Miangul Abdul Wadood Badshah Sahab paid a visit to Rajasthan in India and was stunned by the white marble used for the palace of the Maharaja of Rajasthan.
“Abdul Wadood Sahab was so impressed by the white sparkling marble that he fetched it from Jaipur in India on his return to Swat,” he said.
“It was the first structure in the whole region constructed in Victorian architecture. It has a multilayered roof, starting from a bronze layer to the wooden layer of deodar tree, lime layer, mid-layer, and again a deodar layer with an iron layer to the outer top.”
Furniture of White Palace swat
The bronze used in the upper ceiling was taken from Belgium, and its artisans were from the Empire of Turkey. The ceiling fans and electrical equipment were imported from the British Empire, and they’re all still getting along well.
It was initially named Swati Taj Mahal, then Moti Mahal, but nowadays it is quoted as Sufaid Mahal.
Flora and fauna are well taken care of, which adds to the palace’s beauty and curves. Currently, the palace is run as a hotel, and a large number of visitors come only because of its breathtaking architecture and ancient background.
Balcony view of the white palace
One of the halls of the White Palace houses large collections of ancient photos, including those of Miangul Abdul Wadood and Miangul Jahanzeb Abdul Haq, the last rulers of the modern state, and Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Swat.
carved stones of white palace laid on lush green emerald of Grass.
white palace interior
Ambiance of white palace
Snow-covered White Palace in the winter season.
This palace is a national heritage that should be preserved, but our government is not paying attention to it. The lack of interest damages the palace, and various historical items are at risk of being lost at the helm. This palace has the potential to become one of the most visited places in Pakistan, as visitors come in both winter and summer. If you want to visit this majestic White Palace then we recommend you to book your Swat Tour Package today for an amazing experience.
