Princess Qhabl Begum Sahiba Esra Birgen (born 1936) is a princess belonging to the
Asaf Jah Dynasty
The Asaf Jahi was a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Hyderabad. The family came to Indian subcontinent, India in the late 17th century and became employees of the Mughal Empire. They were great patrons of Persianate society, Persian cul ...
of
Hyderabad state
Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...
by marriage. She was married to
Prince Mukarram Jah. Princess Esra is a princess by marriage, not by birth.
She is credited with the restoration of the
Chowmahalla and
Falaknuma palaces. The former was opened to the public while the latter was leased as a luxury hotel to the
Taj Group
Taj may refer to:
Buildings
*Taj Mahal, a medieval mausoleum in the Indian city of Agra
*Taj Palace, an Abbasid palace in medieval Baghdad
*Taj-ul-Masajid, mosque in Bhopal
* Taj building, Nowshera, Pakistan
*Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, inte ...
.
Life
Princess Esra is credited with the restoration of
Chowmahalla Palace and
Falaknuma Palace.
She appointed architect
Rahul Mehrotra
Rahul Mehrotra is Founder Principal of architecture firm RMA Architects (founded in 1990 as Rahul Mehrotra Associates) of Mumbai + Boston, and is Professor of Urban Design and Planning and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design a ...
to restore the Chowmahalla Palace.
She initiated a project for the royal palaces in August 2000. The restoration project for Chowmahalla Palace involved tasks ranging from stabilising the existing structural components to reconstitution of collapsed and dilapidated sections of the complex, restoration of external and internal spaces and of decorative elements and finishes.
Personal life
Princess Esra married Prince Mukkaram Jah in 1959. They were married for 15 years. They have a son
Azmet (born 1962) and a daughter Shekhya (born 1964). She lives in
London.
References
External links
Princess to the Rescue - William Darlymple on Princess Esra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esra, Princess
Women from Hyderabad State
Living people
1936 births
Date of birth missing (living people)
People from Hyderabad State
Indian female royalty
20th-century Indian royalty