Rumi Darwaza used to mark the entrance to Old Lucknow City, but as the City of Nawabs grew and expanded, it was later used as an entrance to a palace which was later demolished by the British insurgents. Etymology of Rumi Darwaza The word ‘Rumi’ means Roman. It is believed that the gate is called Rumi gate after a 13th century Muslim Sufi mystic, Jalal-ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. The Rumi Darwaza is also referred to as ‘Turkish Gate’ because it bears a strong similarity in design to a gateway built in ancient Constantinople (today’s Turkey) called ‘Bab-i-Humayun’. Architecture of Rumi Darwaza Rumi Darwaza is a fine example of Awadhi architecture. The structure goes up to a staggering height of 60 feet. The uppermost part of Rumi Darwaza comprises of an octagonal Chatri (Umbrella) carved beautifully that can be accessed by a staircase. Rumi Darwaza is adorned with wonderfully carved flowers and designs on the sides of the arch would release little jets of water. On top of the Rumi Darwaza was kept a huge lantern that would light up the structure at night making it look absolutely fabulous. This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to content@indianetzone.com. |