Poplar Name: Ali Mardan Khan Villa
Location: Peshawar Cantonment
Period of Construction: Early 17th century
The city of Peshawar was famous for flowers and beautiful gardens. Ali Mardan Khan governor of Peshawar, Kashmir and Lahore province constructed to gardens in Peshawar. The first one was Shalamar Garden which was located near Balahisar fort and other was Bagh e Ali Mardan Khan in Peshawar Fort.
Mohan Lal visited this garden in the nineteenth century and described it as: ” An evening walk led me to the garden of Ali Mardan Khan……..In the center of the garden is a fine building three storied high, surrounded by fountains. The rest of the garden is filled with exuberance of fruit and rose trees.”
The garden had elaborate water system and walkway with pavilion in the middles and fruit trees. It was the largest Mughal Garden in Peshawar. The pavilion is double storied high with a circumambulation corridor running all around the central hall. It was planned on the pattern of the tomb of Hakim Abul Fateh Gilani at Wah. The main feature of the pavilion is the double height central hall which was elaborately decorated with fresco paintings and cuerda seca tiles which was brought to Peshawar from the Lahore Workshop. The other important feature of the pavilion is the kalib kari work which was inspired from the Persian tradition. The entire building was decorated with fresco paintings.
Naqoosh-e-Javidan 