InfopediaPk - All Facts in One Site!
  • Home
  • Islamic
    • Islamic Articles >
      • Holy Quran
      • Tafhim-ul-Quran >
        • About Tafhim-ul-Quran
        • Sura No 01 to 15 >
          • 01;Sura Al-Fatiha
          • 02;Sura Al-Baqarah
          • 03;Sura Al-i-Imran
          • 04;Sura An-Nisa
          • 05;Sura Al-Maida
          • 06;Sura Al-An'am
          • 07;Sura Al-A'raf
          • 08;Sura Al-Anfal
          • 09;Sura At-Tawbah "Or" Sura Al-Baraat
          • 10;Sura Yunus
          • 11;Sura Hud
          • 12;Sura Yusuf
          • 13;Sura Ar-Ra'd
          • 14;Sura Ibrahim
          • 15;Sura Al-Hijr
        • Sura No 16 to 30 >
          • 16;Sura An-Nahl
          • 17;Sura Al-Isra "Or" Sura Bani Israil
          • 18;Sura Al-Kahf
          • 19;Sura Maryam
          • 20;Sura Ta Ha
          • 21;Sura Al-Anbiya
          • 22;Sura Al-Hajj
          • 23;Sura Al-Mu’minoon
          • 24;Sura An-Nur
          • 25;Sura Al-Furqan
          • 26;Sura Ash-Shuara
          • 27;Sura Al-Naml
          • 28;Sura Al-Qasas
          • 29;Sura Al-Ankabut
          • 30;Sura Ar-Rum
        • Sura No 31 to 45 >
          • 31;Sura Luqman
          • 32;Sura As-Sajda
          • 33;Sura Al-Ahzab
          • 34;Sura Saba
          • 35;Sura Al-Malaika "Or" Sura Fatir
          • 36;Sura Ya Sin
          • 37;Sura As-Saaffat
          • 38;Sura Sad
          • 39;Sura Az-Zumar
          • 40;Sura Al-Mu'min "Or" Sura Al-Ghafir
          • 41;Sura Ha Mim As Sajdah "Or" Surah Fussilat
          • 42;Sura Ash-Shura
          • 43;Sura Az-Zukhruf
          • 44;Sura Ad-Dukhan
          • 45;Sura Al-Jathiya
        • Sura No 46 to 60 >
          • 46;Sura Al-Ahqaf
          • 47;Sura Mohammad
          • 48;Sura Al-Fath
          • 49;Sura Al-Hujurat
          • 50;Sura Qaf
          • 51;Sura Adh-Dhariyat
          • 52;Sura At-Tur
          • 53;Sura An-Najm
          • 54;Sura Al-Qamar
          • 55;Sura Ar-Rahman
          • 56;Sura Al-Waqia
          • 57;Sura Al-Hadid
          • 58;Sura Al-Mujadilah
          • 59;Sura Al-Hashr
          • 60;Sura Al-Mumtahina
        • Sura No 61 to 75 >
          • 61;Sura As-Saff
          • 62;Sura Al-Jumuah
          • 63;Sura Al-Munafiqun
          • 64;Sura At-Taghabun
          • 65;Sura At-Talaq
          • 66;;Sura At-Tahrim
          • 67;Sura Al-Mulk
          • 68;Sura Al-Qalam\Nun
          • 69;Sura Al-Haqqa
          • 70;Sura Al-Maarij
          • 71;Sura Nuh
          • 72;Sura Al-Jinn
          • 73;Sura Al-Muzzammil
          • 74;Sura Al-Muddathir
          • 75;Sura Al-Qiyama
        • Sura No 76 to 90 >
          • 76;Sura Al-Insan\Ad-Dahr
          • 77;Sura Al-Mursalat
          • 78;Sura An-Naba
          • 79;Sura Al-Naziat
          • 80;Sura Abasa
          • 81;Sura At-Takwir
          • 82;Sura Al-Infitar
          • 83;Sura Al-Mutaffifin
          • 84;Sura Al-Inshiqaq
          • 85;Sura Al-Burooj
          • 86;Sura At-Tariq
          • 87;Sura Al-Ala
          • 88;Sura Al-Ghashiya
          • 89;Sura Al-Fajr
          • 90;Sura Al-Balad
        • Sura No 91 to 100 >
          • 91;Sura Ash-Shams
          • 92;Sura Al-Lail
          • 93;Sura Ad-Dhuha
          • 94;Sura Al-Inshirah
          • 95;Sura At-Tin
          • 96;Sura Al-Alaq
          • 97;Sura Al-Qadr
          • 98;Sura Al-Bayyina
          • 99;Sura Az-Zalzala
          • 100;Sura Al-Adiyat
        • Sura No 101 to 114 >
          • 101;Sura Al-Qaria
          • 102;Sura At-Takathur
          • 103;Sura Al-Asr
          • 104;Sura Al-Humaza
          • 105;Sura Al-Fil
          • 106;Sura Quraysh
          • 107;Sura Al-Ma'un
          • 108;Sura Al-Kawthar
          • 109;Sura Al-Kafirun
          • 110;Sura An-Nasr
          • 111;Sura Al-Masadd
          • 112;Sura Al-Ikhlas
          • 113-114;Sura Al-Falaq & Sura Al-Nas
      • Hadith >
        • Forty Sacred Hadith Qudsi
      • Biography >
        • Brief Biography of Hazrat Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
        • Parents Of Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
        • Umm-al-Momineen
        • Daughters Of Hazrat Mohammad (P.B.U.H)
        • Sons Of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
        • Companions of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) >
          • Rightly Guided Caliphs >
            • Brief Biography of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq
            • Life of Umar ibn Al-Khattab
            • Life Of Uthman ibn Affan
            • Life of Ali ibn Abi Talib
          • Life of Al-Hussein Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib
      • Articles of Faith
      • Pillars of Islam >
        • Sawm\\Fasting In Islam
        • Zakat\\Alms-giving In Islam
        • Hajj\\Pilgrimage In Islam
      • Holiest sites in Islam >
        • Holy Kaaba
        • Al-Masjid Al-Haram
        • Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi
        • Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
        • Dome Of The Rock
        • Quba Mosque
        • Masjid E-Zil-Qiblatain
        • Umayyad Mosque
        • Great Mosque of Aleppo
        • Imam Ali Mosque
        • Masjid Al-Kufa
        • Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Mosque
        • Imam Husayn Shrine
        • Al-Abbas Mosque
        • Al-Askari Mosque
        • Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
        • Imam Reza Shrine
        • Abu Hanifah Mosque
        • Zamzam Well
      • Festivals and Events >
        • Eid Milad an-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him)
        • Isra and Miraj
        • Shab-e-Barat
        • Laylat Al-Qadr
        • Eid ul-Fitr
        • Eid ul-Adha
      • Islamic Calendar >
        • About Islamic Calendar
        • 1.Muharram
        • 2.Safar
        • 3.Rabi al-Awwal
        • 4.Rabi al-Thani
        • 5.Jumada al-Awwal
        • 6.Jumada al-Thani
        • 7.Rajab
        • 8.Shaaban
        • 9.Ramadan
        • 10.Shawwal
        • 11.Dhu al-Qidah
        • 12.Dhu al-Hijjah
      • Divine Books In Islam
      • Wonders of Muslim >
        • Wonders Of Muslim (Mosque, Picture hyperlink)
        • 15 World Largest Mosques By Area
        • 15 World Largest Mosques By Capacity
        • Largest Mosque By Country In Terms of Area
        • Largest Mosque By City In Terms of Area
        • In Asia >
          • Middle East >
            • In Saudi Arabia >
              • Al-Masjid Al-Haram
              • Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi
              • Quba Mosque
              • Masjid E-Zil-Qiblatain
            • In Iraq >
              • Imam Ali Mosque
              • Imam Husayn Shrine
              • Al-Abbas Mosque
              • Al-Askari Mosque
              • Abu Hanifah Mosque
              • Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
              • Masjid Al-Kufa
              • Great Mosque of Samarra
            • In Syria >
              • Umayyad Mosque
              • Great Mosque of Aleppo
              • Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Mosque
            • Imam Reza Shrine
            • Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
            • Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
            • Al-Fateh Mosque
            • Saleh Mosque
            • Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
            • Grand Mosque of Kuwait
            • Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque
          • South Asia >
            • Faisal Mosque
            • Badshahi Mosque
            • Wazir Khan Mosque
            • Grand Jamia Mosque
            • Baitul Mukarram
            • Wazir Khan Mosque
            • Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta
            • Bhong Mosque
            • Mohabbat Khan Mosque
            • Masjid-i Jahan-Numa
            • Jamia Masjid, Srinagar
          • Southeast Asia >
            • Crystal Mosque
            • Istiqlal Mosque
            • Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
            • National Mosque of Malaysia
            • Putra Mosque
            • Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque
            • Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
          • East Asia >
            • Id Kah Mosque
            • Great Mosque of Guangzhou
            • Taipei Grand Mosque
            • Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre
          • Central Asia >
            • Nur-Astana Mosque
            • Bibi-Khanym Mosque
        • In Africa >
          • Abu Al-Abbas Al-Mursi Mosque
          • Al-Azhar Mosque
          • Al-Zaytuna Mosque
          • Great Mosque of Djenne
          • Hassan II Mosque
          • Koutoubia Mosque
          • Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun
          • Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As
          • Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha
          • Mosque of Uqba
          • Uganda National Mosque
        • In America & Europe >
          • King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center
          • Sabancı Merkez Camii
          • Glasgow Central Mosque
          • Blue Mosque
          • Mosque of Rome
          • Qolsharif Mosque
          • Kocatepe Mosque
      • Wonder Of Muslims (Fort,Palace)
    • Islamic Pictorial >
      • Verse from the Holy Quran
      • Saying of The Prophet Mohammad
      • Wise Words
      • The Six Kalimas
      • Masnoon Dua
      • Sisala Azkar Masonna
      • Life of Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)
      • Notes
    • Islamic Videos >
      • Verse from the Holy Quran
      • Saying of The Prophet Mohammad
      • Hamds and Naats
    • Islamic Sounds
    • Islamic Wallpapers >
      • Bismillah
      • Kalma Tayyaba
      • Allah
      • Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him
      • Eid ul-Fitr
      • Lailat al-Baraa
      • Hajj
      • Ramadan
  • World
    • Articles >
      • Geography >
        • Continents of the World >
          • About Continents
          • Asia
          • Africa
          • North America
          • South America
          • Antarctica
          • Europe
          • Oceania
        • New Seven Wonders of Nature
        • Earth's Oceans
        • Biggest Bodies Of Water....After Ocean
        • Longest Mountain Ranges Of The World
        • 10 Highest Mountains
        • Seven Summits
        • Volcanic Seven Summits
        • Eight Lowest Points On Earth
        • Lowest Point By Continent (Below Sea Level)
        • Longest River By Continent
        • Largest Lakes by Continent
        • Biggest Desert In The World
      • International Organizations and Groups >
        • International Organizations >
          • United Nations (UNO)
          • Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
          • Interpol
        • Regional Organizations >
          • Arab League
          • OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
          • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
          • Commonwealth of Nations
          • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
          • Economic Cooperation Organization (E.C.O)
          • Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
      • Extreme Engineering >
        • Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
        • New Seven Wonders of the World
        • Biggest,Largest Structures In World----Man Made
        • Tallest Structures In The World ---- Man Made
      • House of Records >
        • Biggest Bodies Of Water....After Ocean
        • Longest Mountain Ranges Of The World
        • 10 Highest Mountains
        • Seven Summits
        • Volcanic Seven Summits
        • Eight Lowest Points On Earth
        • Lowest Point By Continent (Below Sea Level)
        • Longest River By Continent
        • Largest Lakes by Continent
        • Biggest Desert In The World
        • Top 10 Largest Countries By Area
        • Top 10 Smallest Countries By Area
        • Top 10 Most Populated Countries
        • Top 10 Most Less Populated Countries
        • Biggest,Largest Structures In World----Man Made
        • Tallest Structures In The World-------Man Made
      • Festivals and Events >
        • Valentine's Day
        • International Mother Language Day
        • International Women's Day
        • Earth Hour
        • April Fools' Day
        • International Workers' Day
        • Mother's Day
        • World No Tobacco Day
        • Father's Day
        • International Friendship Day
        • Cricket World Cup
        • Summer Olympic Games
      • National Symbols >
        • National Trees
        • National Fruits
        • National Sport
        • National Birds
      • World languages >
        • Arabic
        • Balochi
        • Pashto
        • Punjabi
        • Sindhi
        • Urdu
      • Games And Sports >
        • Archery
        • Badminton
        • Cricket
        • Weightlifting
      • Scouting >
        • Boy Scouts
        • Girl Guides
      • Days and Months >
        • Days of the Week
        • April In History?
        • May In History
        • Calendar >
          • Islamic Calendar >
            • About Islamic Calendar
            • 1.Muharram
            • 2.Safar
            • 3.Rabi al-Awwal
            • 4.Rabi al-Thani
            • 5.Jumada al-Awwal
            • 6.Jumada al-Thani
            • 7.Rajab
            • 8.Shaaban
            • 9.Ramadan
            • 10.Shawwal
            • 11.Dhu al-Qidah
            • 12.Dhu al-Hijjah
          • Gregorian Calendar >
            • About Gregorian Calendar
            • 1.January
            • 2.February
            • 3.March
            • 4.April
            • 5.May
            • 6.June
            • 7.July
            • 8.August
            • 9.September
            • 10.October
            • 11.November
            • 12.December
      • The Solar System (Planets & Dwarf Planets)
      • Introduction and History Of Money
    • Pictorial Series >
      • Did You Know?
      • Wise Words
      • Landscape & Landmark
    • Videos >
      • Did You Know?
      • Universe
      • Human Body
  • Pakistan
    • Articles >
      • Geographical >
        • 5 Highest Peaks In Pakistan
        • Rivers In Pakistan
        • Deserts Of Pakistan
        • Lakes In Pakistan
      • Cities In Pakistan >
        • Islamabad
        • Karachi
        • Lahore
        • Quetta
        • Peshawar
        • Faisalabad
        • Multan
        • Murree
      • Places of Interest >
        • Mosque >
          • Faisal Mosque
          • Badshahi Mosque
          • Grand Jamia Mosque
          • Wazir Khan Mosque
          • Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta
          • Bhong Mosque
          • Mohabbat Khan Mosque
        • Mausoleum >
          • Tomb of Jahangir
          • Tomb of Nur Jahan
          • Mazar-e-Quaid
          • Tomb of Allama Mohammad Iqbal
        • Walled City of Lahore
        • Pakistan Monument
        • Minar-e-Pakistan
        • Lahore Fort
        • Iqbal Manzil
        • Shalimar Gardens
        • Hiran Minar
      • Languages of Pakistan >
        • Urdu
        • Punjabi
        • Sindhi
        • Pashto
        • Balochi
      • Mode of Transport >
        • Motorways of Pakistan
        • Karakoram Highway
        • Grand Trunk Road "Or" GT Road
      • National Events >
        • Lahore Resolution
        • Pakistan Day
        • Youm-e-Takbir
        • Pakistan's Independence Day
        • Defence Day
      • Scouting In Pakistan >
        • Scout
        • Girl Guide
      • Nishan-e-Haider
      • National Symbols of Pakistan
      • Pakistani Currency
      • Guinness Book of World Records In Sport By Pakistan
    • Pakistani Videos
  • Links
  • Feedback
  • Site Map
  • InfopediaPk blog

Badshahi Mosque

Picture
Location
Coordinates
Faith
Category
Started Date
Completed Date
Order to Construct
Rank

Status
Architecture Style
Covered area
Dome(s)
Minaret(s)
Minaret height
Capacity
Lahore, Pakistan
31°35′17.07″N 74°18′36.45″E
Islam
Mosque
1671 A.D.
1673 A.D.
Aurangzeb Alamgir
2nd largest in country and largest in city

Active
Islamic, Mughal
29,867.2m²
3 (2 Small, 1 large)
8 (4 major, 4 minor)
176 ft 4 in (53.75 m)
100,000-120000 appox

The Badshahi Mosque (Urdu: بادشاھی مسجد) or the 'King's Mosque' in Lahore, commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia in terms of capacity. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.
Capable of accommodating 5,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and a further 95,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1978 (A period of 305 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. 
To appreciate its large size, the four minarets of the Badshahi Mosque are 13.9 ft (4.2 m) taller than those of the Taj Mahal and the main platform of the Taj Mahal can fit inside the 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m2) courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which is the largest mosque courtyard in the world.
In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO's World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO. 

History Of Badshahi Mosque

Picture
Aurangzeb reading the Quran.
Construction of the Badshahi Mosque was ordered in May 1671 by the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, who assumed the title Alamgir (Meaning "Conqueror of the World"). Construction took about two years and was completed in April 1673.
The Badshahi Mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, emphasizing its stature in the Mughal Empire. It was constructed on a raised platform to avoid inundation from the nearby Ravi River during flooding. The Mosque's foundation and structure was constructed using bricks and compacted clay. The structure was then cladded with red sandstone tiles brought from a stone quarry near Jaipur in Rajasthan and its domes were cladded with white marble.
The construction work was carried out under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother, Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidai Khan Koka), who was appointed Governor of Lahore by Aurangzeb in May 1671 to specifically oversee the construction of the Mosque and held that post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to Aurangzeb. In conjunction with the building of the Badshahi Mosque, a new gate was built at the Lahore Fort opening into the Hazuri Bagh and facing the main entrance of the Badshahi Mosque, which was named Alamgiri Gate after Aurangzeb.When it was completed in 1673, the Badshahi Mosque was not only the largest mosque in the Mughal Empire, but also the largest mosque in the world - a record it would hold for 305 years until 1978. It was also one of the largest buildings in the Mughal Empire and the world. On a clear day, it could be seen from a distance of 15 km. The Badshahi Mosque elevated Lahore to greater political, economic and cultural importance in the Mughal Empire.

Mosque under Sikh Rule (1799-1849)
On 7 July 1799, the Sikh militia of the Sukerchakia chief, Ranjit Singh, took control of Lahore.After the capture of the city, the Badshahi Mosque was severely damaged when Ranjit Singh used its vast courtyard as a stable for his army's horses and its 80 hujras (Small study rooms surrounding the courtyard) as quarters for his soldiers and as magazines for military stores. Ranjit Singh used the Hazuri Bagh, the enclosed garden next to the Mosque as his official royal court of audience.In 1841, during the Sikh civil war, Ranjit Singh's son, Sher Singh, used the Mosque's large minarets for placement of zamburahs or light guns, which were placed atop the minarets to bombard the supporters of the Sikh Maharani Chand Kaur taking refuge in the besieged Lahore Fort, inflicting great damage to the Fort itself. In one of these bombardments, the Fort's Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) was destroyed (It was subsequently rebuilt by the British but never regained its original architectural splendour).During this time, Henri De la Rouche, a French cavalry officer employed in the army of Sher Singh,used a tunnel connecting the Badshahi Mosque to the Lahore Fort to temporarily store gunpowder.

Mosque under British Rule (1858-1947)
When the British took control of India, they continued the Sikh practice of using the Mosque and the adjoining Fort as a military garrison. The 80 cells (hujras) built into the walls surrounding the Mosque's vast courtyard on three sides were originally study rooms, which were used by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh to house troops and military stores. The British demolished them so as to prevent them from being used for anti-British activities and rebuilt them to form open arcades or dalans, which continue to this day.Sensing increasing Muslim resentment against the use of the Mosque as a military garrison, which was continuing since Sikh Rule, the British set up the Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852 to oversee the restoration and return of the Mosque to Muslims as a place of religious worship. From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs commenced from 1939 onwards. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

Mosque under Pakistan (1947-present)
Restoration work at the Mosque continued after Lahore became part of the new Muslim State of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. By 1960, the Badshahi Mosque stood restored to its original condition at a total cost of 4.8 million rupees (1939-1960).
The Government of Pakistan established a small museum inside the Main Gateway Entrance of the Mosque. It contains relics of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon him), his cousin Ali, and his daughter, Fatimah (ALLAH Bless With All) and other Olia-e-ALLAH.
On the occasion of the 2nd Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Mosque, including, among others, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait. The prayers were led by Mawlana Abdul Qadir Azad, the then Khatib of the Mosque.
In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO's World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO.
In 2000, the marble inlay in the Main Prayer Hall was repaired. In 2008, replacement work on the red sandstone tiles on the Mosque's large courtyard commenced, using red sandstone especially imported from the original source near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.



Architecture & Design

The architecture and design of the Badshahi Mosque closely resembles that of the slightly smaller Jama Mosque in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father and predecessor, Emperor Shah Jahan. Its design was inspired by Islamic, Persian, Central Asian and Indian influences. Like the character of its founder, the Mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression.
The steps leading to the Main Prayer Hall and its floor are in Sang-e-Alvi (variegated marble). The Main Prayer Hall is divided into seven sections by means of multi-foil arches supported on heavy piers, three of which bear the double domes finished externally in white marble. The remaining four sections are roofed with flat domes.
The interior of Main Prayer Hall is richly embellished with stucco tracery (Manbatkari), fresco work, and inlaid marble.

The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of lotiform motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian and Indian architectural influence both in technique and motifs.
The skyline is furnished by beautiful ornamental merlons inlaid with marble lining adding grace to the perimeter of the mosque. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (Dalans), the four corner minarets (Minars), the projecting central transept of the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.
The north enclosure wall of the Mosque was laid close to the Ravi River bank, so a majestic gateway could not be provided on that side and, to keep the symmetry the gate had to be omitted on the south wall as well. Thus, a four Aiwan plan like the earlier Jama Mosque in Delhi, could not be replicated at the Badshahi Mosque.
The walls were built with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in kankar, lime mortar (A kind of hydraulic lime) but have a veneer of red sandstone. The steps leading to the prayer chamber and its plinth are in variegated marble.
The main prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. Out of the 7 compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above. In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (Qalamdani) with a curved border (Ghalatan) at the cornice level.
The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern. The present red sandstone flooring was laid during the last major refurbishhment (1939-60). Similarly, the original floor of the main prayer chamber was in cut and dressed bricks with marble and Sang-i-Abri lining forming Mussalah and was also replaced by marble Mussalah during the last major repairs.
There are only two inscriptions in the Mosque:
  • One on the main gateway entrance
  • The other of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault.

Dimensions

  • Courtyard: 528 ft 8 in (161.14 m) x 528 ft 4 in (161.04 m) [Area: 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m2)] (The world's largest mosque courtyard) [Compared to 186 × 186 ft (57 × 57 m) for the main platform of the Taj Mahal], divided into two levels: the upper and the lower. In the latter, funeral prayers can also be offered.
  • Prayer Chamber: 275 ft 8 in (84.02 m) x 83 ft 7 in (25.48 m) x 50 ft 6 in (15.39 m) high, with its main vault 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m) x 59 ft 4 in (18.08 m) high but with the merlons 74 ft (22.555200 m). [Area: 22,825 sq ft (2,120.5 m2)]
  • 4 Corner Minarets: 176 ft 4 in (53.75 m) high and 67 ft (20 m) in circumference, are in four stages and have a contained staircase with 204 steps (Compared with 162.5 ft (49.5 m) for the minarats of the Taj Mahal).
  • Central Dome: Diameter 65 ft (20 m) at bottom [At bulging 70 ft 6 in (21.49 m)]; height 49 ft (15 m); pinnacle 24 ft (7.3 m) and neck 15 ft (4.6 m) high.
  • 2 Side Domes: Diameter 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m) [At bulging 54 ft (16.46 m)]; height 32 ft (9.8 m); pinnacle 19 ft (5.8 m); neck 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) high.
  • Gateway: 66 ft 7 in (20.29 m) x 62 ft 10 in (19.15 m) x 65 ft (20 m) high including domelets; vault 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) x 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m) high. Its three-sided approach steps are 22 in number.
  • Side Aisles (Dalans): 80 in number. Height above floor 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m); plinth 2 ft 7 in (0.79 m).
  • Central Tank: 50 ft (15 m) x 50 ft (15 m) x 3 ft (0.91 m) deep [Area: 2,500 sq ft (230 m2)]
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.