Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal

Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal is a palace completed in 1636 by Tirumala Nayaka, a king of the Madurai Nayak dynasty, who ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1659. It is located 2 km (1.2 mi) to the southeast of the Meenakshi Amman Temple in central Madurai. The present structure is the main palace which served as the living quarters of the king, and the original palace complex was four times larger. The Nayaks of Madurai ruled this Kingdom from 1545 until the 1740s and Thirumalai Nayak (1623-1659) was one of their greatest kings notable for various buildings in and around Madurai.