Wazir Khan Mosque

The Wazir Khan Mosque (Punjabi/Urdu: مسجد وزیر خان Masjid Wazīr Khān) in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive faience tile work. It has been described as ' a mole on the cheek of Lahore'. It was built in seven years, starting around 1634-1635 AD, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. It was built by Shaikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari, a native of Chiniot, who rose to be the court physician to Shah Jahan and later, the Governor of Lahore. He was commonly known as Wazir Khan. (The word wazir means 'minister' in Urdu language.) The mosque is located inside the Inner City and is easiest accessed from Delhi Gate.

Contents  Construction Gallery

Construction

Wazir Khan Mosque, 1866 water colour by William Carpenter

Pigeons flying over the mosque

A painting by Edwin Lord Weeks c. 1889 of the market place near Wazir Khan Mosque

In his published notes, F H Andrews, former Principal of the Mayo School of Arts, describes the mosque thus: 'The material used in the construction of the Mosque is a small tile-like brick universally used by the Mughals when stone was unusable or too costly. The only stone used in the building is used for brackets and some of the fretwork (pinjra). The walls were coated with plaster (chunam) and faced with a finely-soft quality of the same material tooled to a marble-like surface and coloured. All the external plasterwork was richly coloured a rich Indian red, in true fresco, and the surface afterwards picked out with white lines in the similitude of the small bricks beneath. The extreme severity of the lines of the building is relieved by the division of the surfaces into slightly sunk rectangular panels, alternatively vertical and horizontal, the vertical panels having usually an inner panel with arched head or the more florid cusped mihrab. These panels, where they are exposed to weather, are generally filled with a peculiar inlaid faience pottery called kashi, the effect of which must have been very fine when the setting of deep red plaster of the walls was intact.'
'The facade of the sanctuary is practically covered with kashi and is divided into the usual oblong panels. A beautiful border is carried rectangularly round the centre archway, and inscriptions in Persian characters occur in an outer border, in a long panel over the archway, and in horizontal panels along the upper portions of the lower walls to right and left. The spandrels are filled in with extremely fine designs.'
'With the minars, however, the facade of the sanctuary, and the entrance gateway, where a small portion of the surface was left for plaster, the effect of the gorgeous colours against the soft blue of a Punjabi sky, and saturated with brilliant sunlight and glowing purple shadow is indescribably rich and jewel-like.'
'Right and left of the sanctuary are two stately octagonal minars 100 feet in height. On the long sides of the quadrangle are ranged small khanas or cells, each closed by the usual Indian two-leaved door set in a slightly recessed pointed arch, of which there are thirteen on each side by a pavilion rising above the general level, containing larger apartments and an upper story reached by two flights of steps, which also give access to the roof of the arcading and pavilions...these pavilions occur, in the centre of the north and south sides of the lower level of the pavement. In the pavilion on the south side is a fountain set in a circular scalloped basin, and served from the main which supplies the tank in the quadrangle.'
Within the inner courtyard of the mosque lies the subterranean tomb of Syed Muhammad Ishaq, known as Miran Badshah, a divine from Iran who settled in Lahore during the time of the Tughluq dynasty. The tomb, therefore, predates the mosque.

Gallery

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  The main gate
  
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  The main gate from the inside
  
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  A minaret
  
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  Looking right on entry
  
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  Tomb of Syed Muhammad Ishaq, within the mosque
  
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  Close-up of a Hujra's (a separate room within the mosque for prayer in solitude) door
  
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  Row of Hujra's lining the courtyard
  
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  Prayer area - Mihrab
  
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  Rows of Shops OUTSIDE the mosque (one of the earliest mosques to introduce such a concept)
  
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  Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile
  
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  Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile
  
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  Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile: 'God is aplenty'
  
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  Fresco in prayer chamber
  
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  Fresco in prayer chamber
  
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  Plaque at Wazir Khan Mosque
  

Suneri Mosque

The Suneri Mosque or Golden Mosque is located in the centre of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The founder of the mosque was Nawab Syed Bhikari Khan, son of Raushan-ud-Daula Turrabaz Khan, deputy governor of Lahore during the reign of Muhammad Shah and the viceroyalty of Mir Noin-ul-Malik. The Golden Mosque is situated in the Kashmiri Bazaar. It was built in 1753 and features three beautiful golden domes. The mosque is elevated on a higher plinth, surrounded by old bazaars. It has a beautiful gateway, which measures 21.3 metres in length and a courtyard that measures 161.5 by 160.6 metres (530 × 527 ft). The marble domes cover seven prayer chambers. Four lofty minarets stand at the four corners of the mosque, each with an outer circumference of 20 metres (66 ft), soaring up to 54 metres (177 ft).

Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta

The Shah Jahan Mosque was built in the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is located in Thatta, Sindh province, Pakistan. It has been on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage list since 1993.^[1]
In the town of Thatta (100 km / 60 miles from Karachi) itself, there is famous Shahjahani Mosque with its beautiful architecture. This mosque was built in 1647 during the reign of Mughal King Shah Jahan, also known as the builder King. The mosque is built with red bricks with blue coloured glaze tiles probably imported from another Sindh's town of Hala. The mosque has overall 100 domes and it is world's largest mosque having such number of domes. It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end.

Moti Masjid (Lahore)

Moti Masjid (Punjabi, Urdu: موتی مسجد), one of the "Pearl Mosques", is a 17th century religious building located inside the Lahore Fort. It is a small, white marble structure built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and is among his prominent extensions (such as Sheesh Mahal and Naulakha pavilion) to the Lahore Fort Complex.^[1] The mosque is located on the western side of Lahore Fort, closer to Alamgiri Gate, the main entrance.

Contents Etymology Subsequent history Design

Etymology

Moti in Urdu language means pearl, which designates a perceived preciousness to the religious structure. It was an established practice among Mughal emoperors to name the mosques after generic names for gemstones. Other such examples are Mina Masjid (Gem Mosque) and Nagina Masjid (Jewel Mosque), both located in Agra Fort and completed in 1637 under Shah Jahan's reign.^[2] The mosque, built between 1630–35,^[3] is the first among the mosques with jewel names built by Shah Jahan in Agra Fort (1647–53), and his son Aurangzeb in the Red Fort (1659–60).

Subsequent history

After the demise of the Mughal Empire, the mosque was converted into a Sikh temple and renamed Moti Mandir during the period of the Sikh Confederacy (1716—99). Later, Ranjit Singh also used the building for the state treasury. When the British took over Punjab in 1849, they discovered precious stones wrapped in bits of rags and placed in velvet purses scattered inside the mosque, along with other inventory.^[4] The building was later revived to its former status, and the religious relics were conserved at the nearby Badshahi Mosque.

Design

The structure, located in the northwestern corner of Dewan-e-Aam quadrangle, is typical of Mughal architecture of Shah Jahan's times.^[5] It is completely built of white marble that was brought from Makrana^[3] The façade is composed of cusped arches and engaged baluster columns with smooth and fine contours.^[6] The mosque has three superimposed domes, two aisles of five bays, and a slightly raised central pishtaq, or portal with a rectangular frame.^[7] This five-arched facade distinguishes it from other mosques of the similar class with three-arched facades. The interior is simple and plain with the exception of ceilings that are decorated and designed in four different orders, two arcuate, and two trabeated.^[8]

Baghdada

Baghdada (Urdu: بغدادہ)(Pashto:بغدادہ) is a town of Mardan District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.^[1] It is on two important roads, one leading to Swabi and the other to Swat and Chitral.

Contents  Geography Education  Industry Kuzkandi Jamiah Masjid New Baghdad

Geography

Baghdada is located at 34°13'0N 72°2'0E with an altitude of 288 metres (948 feet)^[2] and lies close to the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway. The Kalpani river flows at the eastern side of town.

Education

Educational establishments in the town include:

• Aziz bhatti Shaheed Army college Mardan
• F.G. Public High School Mardan
• Government Middle School (GMS) Baghdada
• Government High School (GHS) Baghdada
• Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Baghdada
• Government Post Graduate College For Women Baghdada Mardan

Industry

The main industry of Baghdada is Furniture Manufacturing. There are hundreds of shops and industry of furniture which is supplied to all parts the country for domestic as well as official purposes. Sarnjam Khan Market is the biggest Market of Furniture situated in the center of the town.

Kuzkandi Jamiah Masjid

Central entrance door to the mosque, pictured by Adil Shah

The Kuzkandi Jamiah Masjid mosque (also known as Masjid Maulana Abdul Qayum, Masjid Khushal and Jamiah Masjid Payan) located near the Cantonmentarea and Baghdada Chowk. It is the biggest mosque in the town, with a capacity of 1000.^{[citation needed]}
The Punjab Regiment Centre is on the border of Baghdada.

New Baghdada

With increasing population and expansion of the city now New Baghdada is established as new part of Baghdada town. It consists of more than 10 streets of Haji Korona and New baghdada itself. Most of the population is non-agriculture and associated with different types of occupations and trades.

Mohabbat Khan Mosque

The Mohabbat Khan Mosque (Urdu, Pashto: موحبّت خان مسجد) is a 17th century Mosque in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. It is named after the Mughal governor of Peshawar Nawab Mohabbat Khan who served under Emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb and who was the grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan (who had been governor of Lahore).
The Mosque was built in 1670s, and is orthodox in design. Its open courtyard has an ablution pond in the middle and a single row of rooms around the sides. The prayer hall occupies the west side flanked by two tall minarets. According to the turn-of-the-century Gazetteer for the KPK, the minarets were frequently used in Sikh times ‘as a substitute for the gallows’. A fire that raged through the Andar Sheher Bazaar in 1895 failed to destroy the mosque because of the unremitting efforts of the faithful.
The interior of the prayer hall is sheltered beneath three low fluted domes and is lavishly and colourfully painted with floral and geometric designs.

Masjid e Tooba

Masjid e Tooba or Tooba Mosque (Urdu: مسجد طوبٰی) is located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Locally, it is also known as the Gol Masjid. Masjid e Tooba was built in 1969 in Defense Housing Society, Karachi. It is located just off main Korangi Road. Masjid e Tooba is often claimed to be the largest single dome mosque in the world. It is also major tourist attraction in Karachi. Masjid e Tooba is built with pure white marble. The dome of the Masjid e Tooba is 72 meters (236 feet) in diameter, and is balanced on a low surrounding wall with no central pillars. Masjid e Tooba has a single minaret standing 70 meters high. Masjid e Tooba is the 18th largest mosque in the world with the central prayer hall having a capacity of 5,000 people. It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end. This mosque was designed by Pakistani architect Dr Babar Hamid Chauhan and the engineer was Zaheer Haider Naqvi.

Data Durbar Complex

Data Darbar (or Durbar), located in the city of Lahore, Pakistan is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the Sub-Continent. It houses the remains of a Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery (more commonly known as Data Gunj Baksh, meaning Bestower of Spiritual Treasures). He is said to have lived on the site in the 11th Century.
The shrine is located near the Bhaati Gate into Lahore's Walled City. It was originally built by the Ghaznavi king Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim later in the 11th Century and has been expanded several times since. There have been rising security fears in recent years after threats by Pakistan's Taliban militants. The large size of the complex which houses the shrine and the fact that it is open at all hours to the public makes protecting it extremely difficult. For centuries his tomb was visited by Muslims and Hindus in search of his blessings but since partition, most visitors have been Muslim, although people of all religions are welcome. Pakistan's main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif is a frequent visitor. On special occasions, the shrine is lit up with lights, dinner is prepared for hundreds of people and peasants dance around and musicians play Sufi music for hours. In the boundary of shrine, Muslims recite Qur'an, and pay tributes to Muhammad.

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Contents Gallery

Gallery

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  Closeup of the Mazar-e-Data
  
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  View of the tomb
  
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  Ceiling of the tomb
  
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  People pay their respects
  
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  People at Data Durbar
  
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  View of Jamia Hajveria
  
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  View of Jamia Hajveria
  
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  View of Jamia Hajveria
  
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  Minaret of Jamia Hajveria
  
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  View of the tomb enclosure
  

CMH Masjid Jhelum

CMH Mosque or DIV Headquarters Mosque or simply DIV Masjid is a beautiful Jamia mosque in Jhelum Cantt, Pakistan.^[1] This mosque is adjacent to CMH Jhelum. Its foundation was laid by General Muhammad Ayub Khan on March 21, 1950 and opening ceremony was headed by Governor of Punjab Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar. It has capacity to occupy more than 25,000 people at a time.

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Bhong Mosque

Bhong Mosque (Bhong Masjid) is located in the village of Bhong, Sadiqabad Tehsil, Rahim Yar Khan District, Southern Punjab Pakistan. It was designed and constructed over a period of nearly 50 years (1932–1982) and won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1986.^[1] A postage stamp depicting it was issued on May 12, 2004 in Pakistan.^[2]

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Contents  Introduction  Infrastructure  Benefactor Award

Introduction

The mosque is located at the distance of 200 kilometers from Bahawalpur and 50 kilometers from Rahim Yar Khan and is well known for its exquisite design and architectural beauty with gold leaves carved for the intricate decorative patterns and the stylish calligraphic work.
Sardar Rais Ghazi Mohammad Indhar, a wealthy landlord, commissioned this mosque in 1932 to be the jewel of his new palace compound, which already included a mosque and a prestigious Madrasa (religious school) and was completed in 1982.
Sardar Rais Ghazi Mohammad Indhar, client, designer, patron and landlord conceived, directed and funded the entire building construction. The construction of mosque was carried out by specialists gathered from all over Pakistan and India: master masons from Rajisthan, India; craftsmen from Multan for the glazed tile, mosaic and woodwork; and painters and calligraphers from Karachi. Workshops were set up to train craftsmen in skills that had originally been passed from father to son. Materials and crafts used range from the traditional - teak, ivory, marble, colored glass, onyx, glazed tile, fresco, mirrors, gilded tracery, ceramics, calligraphy and inlay - to the modern and synthetic marbled industrial tile, artificial stone facing, terrazzo, colored cement tile and wrought iron. Sardar Rais Ghazi's intention was to represent as many forms of popular craft and as many Islamic religious architectural features as possible.
Over the 50 years of its evolution, the Bhong Mosque Complex has generated jobs and trained approximately 1000 workers and craft men in indigenous crafts. Its construction laid an edifice for socio-economic development and provision of basic amenities of life including market roads, schools, electricity, gas, bank, hospital, post office etc. to the local population.

Infrastructure

The construction of the mosque was carried out by specialists gathered from all over Pakistan and India: master masons from Rajasthan, India, craftsmen from Multan for the glazed tile, mosaic and woodwork, and painters and calligraphers from Karachi. Workshops were set up to train craftsmen in skills that had originally been passed from father to son. The mosque's design is a mix of Islamic styles, using rare and traditional materials such as ivory, teak, and onyx, along with industrial elements like terrazzo and artificial stone facing. Broadly eclectic in their use of sources, the builders borrowed stylistic elements from nearby Lahore, as well as Iran, Spain and Turkey, and combined them with Western colonial elements of the 1940s.

Benefactor

The mosque was commissioned in 1932 by Rais Ghazi Mohammad,to be the jewel of his new palace compound where another mosque and prestigious religious school already stood. Rais Ghazi Mohammad was given the highest civilian award of Pakistan from the government namely "Sitara-e-Imtiaz" on March 23, 2004 in recognition of his services.

Award

Aga Khan Award for Architecture 1986.
In recognition of his significant sole attempt to create a local Islamic Center of learning and building crafts, Sardar Rais Ghazi Mohammad was awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture by His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan in 1986 at Morocco. In the words of the Jury "Bhong enshrines and epitomizes the popular taste in Pakistan with all its vigor, pride, tension and sentiment. Its use, and misuse of signs and symbols expresses appropriate growing pains of an architecture in transition." The President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan has posthumously conferred upon Sardar Rais Ghazi Muhammad, "SITARA-I-IMTIAZ" on March 23, 2004 on Pakistan Day for his outstanding contribution to the field of Public Service (Bhong Mosque Architecture).
Critics, mostly Western, have called it "Arabian Nights a la Hollywood," noting how much it delights the Pakistani, yet bemoaning the fact that such a work will now set an architectural standard. To date, it has been the most controversial of the Aga Khan Architecture award winners.

Masjid-e-Aqsa

The Masjid-e-Aqsa (Aqsa Mosque) in Rabwah (Pakistan) is the greatest mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The foundation stone was laid in 1966 and the building's inauguration took place on March 31, 1972. The mosque is the main mosque of the Ahmadiyya in Rabwah for 12,000 worshipers.
The mosque may not be regarded as a mosque by many mainstream Muslims because it belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Masjid-e-Aqsa
Aqsa Mosque in Pakistan

Contents History  Construction and design

History

The design came from the mosque, Abdul Rashid, at the request of Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad should occur in one Central Mosque Rabwah. The blueprint was already established during his tenure, but because of the Caliph was not affected, the foundation will be laid. On 28 October 1966 Mirza Nasir Ahmad laid the foundation for the Masjid-e-Aqsa. The Friday Sermon the third Caliph 31 The mosque was opened in March 1972.

Construction and design

The column-free main hall is 1,650 square meters in size. 650 m² of floor are reserved for women and the remaining 1000 m² are reserved for men. The mosque was said to be inspired by the Mughal Badshahi Mosque. Together with the 3,700 m² large field, the mosque can accommodate up to 18,500 worshipers. The minaret, in accordance with the wishes of the Caliph, was intended to be a meter higher than that of the Badshahi Mosque, 55 m in height, and to resemble the design of the Baadshai Mosque minarets. However, the Pakistan Air Force in Sargodha did not allow this minaret. The mosque now has a total of 6 minarets, four of which are about 20 m and two 12 m high.
The construction cost of approximately 1.3 million Rupees completely took over Bani Muhammad Sadiq,^{[clarification needed]} whose name was not published until after his death.