The Badshahi Mosque History

The Badshahi Mosque History

Badshahi Mosque built

The Badshahi Mosque was built in 1673 by Aurangzeb Alamgir in Lahore. This magnificent mosque is a great example of the Mughal era and has become the hallmark of Lahore city. It is the second largest mosque in Pakistan after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, which can accommodate 60,000 people at a time. The style of construction of this mosque is very similar to that of Jamia Masjid Delhi which was built by Aurangzeb's father Shah Jahan in 1648.

History

Aurangzeb Alamgir, the sixth Mughal king of India, was the most religious king of all the Mughals. He built the mosque under the supervision of his half-brother Muzaffar Hussain, also known as Fidai Khan.

It took two years from 1671 to 1673 to build the mosque. The mosque was built opposite the royal fort, which shows its importance during the Mughal period. With the construction of this mosque, Aurangzeb also added a dignified gate to the royal fort in front of its gate, which is called the Universal Gate.

Architecture

In his book, Sayyid Latif describes the style of construction of the mosque as being influenced by a Masjid al-Walid at the site of Makkah Mukarramah in present-day Hijaz (present-day Saudi Arabia). If the architecture of other historical mosques in India is carefully studied, the architecture of this mosque bears a striking resemblance to that of Jamia Masjid Fatehpur Sikri. This mosque was completed in 1571-1575 during the reign of Hazrat Saleem Chishti. The second most important mosque in this regard is the Jama Masjid of Delhi, Jahan Nama, which was built by Aurangzeb's father Shah Jahan in 1650-1656. At first glance, it seems that these two mosques are the same. The similarity between Delhi and Lahore's Badshahi Masjid is also found on page number (175-176) of Lahore Gazetteer 1883-84 printed during the British rule. In it, these two mosques were inscribed under the name of Jamia Masjid. But in terms of architectural sophistication, the Delhi Jama Masjid was considered much better. According to the traditions, the cost of the Jama Masjid of Delhi was Rs. 1 million.

Repair

As time went on, the mosque was damaged for a variety of reasons. Repairs began in 1850, but were incomplete. Finally, the complete renovation started in 1939 and was completed in 1960 at a cost of Rs. 48 lakhs. Due to this repair, the mosque was restored to its original condition.

Adshahi Mosque Library

There is also a library in Badshahi Masjid. When the Ulema Academy was present in Badshahi Masjid, this library was established to quench the thirst of scholars for knowledge. Therefore, most of the scholarly books are available in the library. The condition of the books in the library, which is usually senate, shows that most of them were not even opened. Ever since the Ulema Academy moved here, no one has come to this library. However, the books in the library are excellent, especially for those who are familiar with Arabic. The library has many Arabic commentaries that can be used.

Special events

View of the mosque, from Minar Pakistan

On the occasion of the Second Islamic Summit held in Lahore on February 22, 1974, 39 heads of state were fortunate enough to offer Friday prayers in this mosque.

STORY OF THE WORLD

THE END