Heritage Tours >> Forts and Palaces >> Bara Imambara

This huge and elegant building is also called the Asafai Imambara. It is said that this hall is the world’s largest arched room without any pillars and the Nawabs used to hold their public hearings. The building was built in a famine relief program in 1784 by Nabab Asaf-ud-Daulla..

Fascinating Labyrinth:  
The upper floor, Bhulbhulaiya, is also famous as a fantastic labyrinth. It is believed that a stranger cannot come out of this maze without any assistance from some expert guide. From the top of this Imambara, is a fine view of the city and the Aurangzeb Mosque. Other attractions at this place are - a 'bottomless' well in the courtyard and Rumi Darwaza, an exquisitely designed gate built by Asaf-ud-Daula, which is a replica of the one in Istanbul. The Imambara is open from 0600 hours to 1700 hours.

Building and its Unique Architecture:  
The Great Imambara or the Bada Imambara has a central hall, one of the largest vaulted galleries in the world, beneath which many underground passages are present. Any pillars or any other supports do not support the main hall, which is over 50 feet in height. The roof has been put together with interlocking bricks without using a beam or a girder. Hence, it is viewed as a unique achievement of architecture. The building, which consists of three huge halls, has an amazing maze of corridors hidden in between its walls that are about 20 feet thick. The entire structure is quite massive in proportions and one can spend hours inside the maze (which has three stories) without passing through any passage twice. This magnificent edifice, recalling the past glory of the Nawab of Oudh, is known for its simplicity of style, proportion and symmetry.