Badshahi Masjid (Imperial Mosque)

Badshahi Mosque (The Imperial mosque of Aurangzeb Alamgir) is situated to the west of the Lahore Fort. Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshipers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father and predecessor, emperor Shah Jahan. It is built on a raised platform, set on arches, and is considerably elevated above the surface of the ground. The gateway to the east, made of red sand-stone and marble, is approached by a flight of large circular steps, paved with a beautifully variegated stone from Kabul, known as Abri. The mosque has been built in imitation of the mosque of Al Walid in Mecca. Above the arched entrance are many small turrets of red sand-stone and marble, and a tablet of white marble on the outer face of this entrance has the inscription, in large letters, below the Kalima of the Muslim creed. The facade of the archway measures 66 feet, 10 inches long. The arched entrance opens on a large quadrangle, or court-yard, 530 feet long, north and south and 527 feet long east and west, paved with solid bricks, each seat for prayer being decorated with a narrow black marble border. In the center is a reservoir of water for the ablutions of the faithful. To the west of the square is the mosque itself, the roof of which is surmounted by three superb cupolas, or domes, of white marble, crowned with pinnacles, or spires, of brass, richly guilt. Under the domes of the mosque is the principal hall, with several arched entrances, facing the east; beyond this is another hall with arched entrances; the centre arch of red sandstone, inlaid with ornamented white marble, is in the form of a massive gateway, and is wide and lofty. Towards the western extremity, in the compartment beneath the central dome, is a handsome niche, or recess, looking towards Mecca. Each corner the quadrangle has a minaret of red sand-stone, tall and majestic, towering above every other-object, and seen for many miles. The height of each minaret is 143

feet, 6 inches; its circumference outside 67 feet, and inside 8.5 feet. Access to their summit is gained by a flight of narrow steps of red sand-stone in the interior, and from the top an interesting view of the Yadgaar-e-Pakistan and the surrounding country is obtained. The north and south of the quadrangle are overshadowed by rows of fine trees and lined with arcaded rooms, originally intended for the accommodation of the students belonging to the mosque.

The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (Manbatkari) and paneling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay. The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of loti form 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. 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 iwan plan like the earlier Delhi Jamia Masjid could not be adopted here. 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 prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern. There are only two inscriptions in the mosque: one on the gateway the other of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault. Courtyard: 528'-8" x 528'-4" (Area: 278,784 ft2), divided into two levels: the upper and the lower. In the latter, funeral prayers can also be offered.

Prayer Chamber: 275'-8" x 83'-7" x 50'-6" high, with its main vault 37'-3" x 59'-4" high but with the merlons 74'-6". (Area: 22,825 ft2) Corner Minars: 67' in circumference, 176'-4" high are in four stages and have a contained staircase with 204 steps. Central Dome: Diameter 65' at bottom (at bulging 70'-6"); height 49'; pinnacle 24 ft and neck 15 ft high. Side Domes: Diameter 51'-6" (at bulging 54'-2"); height 32 ft; pinnacle 19 ft; neck 9'-6" high. Gateway: 66'-7" x 62'-10" x 65 high including domelets; vault 21'-6" x 32'-6" high. Its three sided approach steps are 22 in number. Side aisles (Dalans): 80 in number. Height above floor 23'-9"; plinth 2'-7". Central Tank: 50' x 50' x 3' deep (Area: 2,500 ft2)

The Moti Mosque

The Moti Mosque, in the Red Fort at Shahjahanabad, Delhi was initiated by the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ,completed in 1663, served as his private mosque. The Moti Mosque is contained within a rectangular walled enclosure measuring approximately 22 meters by 15 meters (72 feet by 49 feet) with its longitudinal axis running along the east-west direction. The compound wall rises to a height of 6.1 m (20 feet) and except for its three bulbous, white marble domes and numerous (ca 20) slender minarets terminating in a lotus finial, most of the mosque remains hidden from view. The rubble masonry compound wall was originally faced with red sandstone having square and rectangular recessed panels. This rectangular compound wall aligns itself with the rest of the palace complex while the interior space of the mosque re-orients itself slightly to face precisely west (qibla). This compound wall forms an elevated walkway at the top lined by foliate merlons on all four sides. The mosque itself is accessed by a short set of stairs (5 steps) through an arched doorway in the east wall. The courtyard is a rectangle measuring 12.2 meters by 10.67 meters (40 feet by 35 feet) comprising three bays each, with the prayer hall to the west and the other three sides walled-in within the compound wall. The floor of the courtyard is paved in white marble, and at its center is a rectangular white marble ablution tank measuring 3.02 meters by 2.44 meters (10 feet by 8 feet). On the west side of the courtyard is the prayer hall raised on a plinth 1.1 meters high (3-1/2 feet) and accessed by three short (4 risers) marble flights of stairs, on center with each of its three arched bays.

The prayer hall comprises two aisles and measures 12.2 meters by 9.14 meters (40 feet by 30 feet). The interior of the hall, as with the rest of the mosque, is completely dressed in white marble; it is capped by three ribbed domes that are also clad in white marble stone. The outer wall is unornamented but for its merlons and insets, while the interior face is

completely dressed in white marble with an array of curvilinear floral forms and patterns in relief. The main entrance doorway to the mosque on the east is through an arched doorway located slightly off center on the east wall. The entrance is framed within a white marble arched jamb and a door paneled with finely embossed brass sheets. Through this doorway, one walks through the (very thick) compound wall and is led to a second arched entrance. It is through this second archway that the courtyard space is accessed. Adjacent to this archway, running straight up north inside the wall thickness of the east wall, is a straight flight of steps leading to the elevated walkway of the compound wall. Entering the courtyard, one faces the three cusped-arch elevation of the prayer hall. The central bay is larger than the two side bays in height and width and is shaded by a curved Bengali cornice that assumes a horizontal profile on either side. The four piers supporting the arches have an ornate base and capital with a straight shaft. Above the level of the cornice, aligning vertically with each pier, are four octagonal fauxminarets with tapering profiles that culminate in small octagonal domed chhatris. The three bulbous domes above the prayer hall are supported on tall drums, each capped with an inverted lotus flower and a metal finial. The prayer hall is raised on a plinth faced with horizontal bands of marble relief work at the top and bottom and is reached by four steps each. These steps are faced in white marble with strips of black marble inlaid into the riser surface. The east wall of the courtyard reflects a similar bay rhythm as the prayer hall, but contains no openings except for the small entrance archway at its center flanked by two protruding piers and an arch spanning above in ornamented relief from the wall. The entire wall surface is covered with curvilinear foliate decoration in relief that subtly reflects profiles of the piers and arches of the prayer hall: the cusped pointed arches of the prayer hall are reflected as blind archways in the east wall, with the central arch being taller and wider than the arches flanking it on either side. The central arch is framed within a rectangular recess of its full height while the two side bays are framed within rectangular recesses of proportionately smaller size. With the

piers of the prayer hall mirrored as pilasters in relief on the east wall, the entire composition appear as a flattened image of the prayer hall. The top of the east wall terminates with a protruding stone course topped by foliate merlons. The protruding course contains eyelets carved in marble at regular intervals, probably to fasten rope supports for a temporary roof canopy over the courtyard. These eyelets run all around the courtyard space. The merlons on the interior surface of the courtyard are ornamented in floral white marble relief, as compared to the plain rounded plastered merlons on the outside. Their rhythm is only interrupted by the four faux minarets, which are similar in profile as those of the prayer hall but capped with a small dome and a finial inside a lotus flower. These faux minarets are aligned vertically with the pilasters, and a continuous herringbone pattern extends from the pilaster through the protruding course up to the base of the faux minarets. The north and south walls also contain three bays, each of equal size. The north wall contains three deeply recessed rectangular windows with intricate marble jaalis placed centrally to each bay rising from the courtyard level to a height of approximately 1.7 meters (5-1/2 feet). The three rectangular windows in the north are also reflected in the south wall, but only as shallow recesses. Above this level the bays are plain up to the height of the window lintel, above which a profusion of floral patterns cover the entire paneled surface. The courtyard is paved in white marble with a pattern of squares inlaid in thin strips of black marble. The ablution fountain is a shallow. A large three-sided mihrab niche is located in the center of the west wall and is recessed in two planes of cusped arches framed by a larger but shallow arch of the Bengali cornice profile. Adjacent to the mihrab, towards the north, is a three-stepped minbar in white marble. The minbar steps are hollowed out and supported on the floor by delicate, intricately carved legs in white marble. On either side of the mihrab, central to each side bay, are smaller arched niches recessed into the west wall. The north and south walls of the prayer hall contain slightly recessed rectangular panels

with a diamond-shaped pattern in relief. The three bulbous domes atop the prayer hall are not reflected in the space within. The two side bays are roofed by four shallow domes, decorated with flower petals arranged radially around their centers. The roof is supported on a set of cusped arches spanning in both directions between four cruciform shaped piers. Black marble inlay adorns the white marble shaft of the piers in concentric rectangular profiles. A carved white marble floral wreath in the base and the capital ornaments the otherwise plain shaft. The walls are also paneled in black marble inlay work. The bottom of the entire wall surface within the prayer hall is skirted with the floral pattern, as is the base of the piers. The rectangular paneling stops at the height of the lintel consistent with the rest of the space. This level also corresponds to the springing point of the structural arches. Above this level the arches and ceilings are covered with a profusion of floral and tendril-like motifs. The bulbous vase containing stems of flowers is a theme consistent throughout the prayer hall, with the floral patterns emerging at the level of the springing point of the arches. The cusped arches culminate at the top to a point adorned by a floral motif, while their spandrels are replete with floral curvilinear relief work on marble. This kind of surface ornament is referred to as munabbat-kari, or "sober-relief".

Bibi Ka Maqbara
A monument identical to the Taj stands in Aurangabad in Maharashtra and it is called the Mini Taj of the Deccan. Bibi Ka Maqbara is an architectural wonder with intricate designs, carved motifs, imposing structure and beautifully landscaped Moghal-style garden. The walk from the entrance to the monument is dotted with lush lawns, deep green cypresses and gurgling fountains. The pavements leading to the mausoleum are flanked by oblong reservoirs. The ambience is overwhelmingly that of the Taj. On close encounter, however, one realizes that while the Taj is pure white with the coolness and smoothness of the Rajasthan marble, the walls of the Maqbara are a little dusky by contrast. They lack the sheen of marble. In fact, the dome and some parts of the main building are made of marble, the rest is plastered with Eastco plaster, a kind of high quality cement which gives marble-like look and strength to the walls. That is the reason why the Maqbara looks a little dull compared to the Taj. That is also probably one reason why it is often referred to as the "poor mans Taj". Historians record that initially Aurangzeb was not in favour of building a monument as lavish as the Taj. He blocked the movement of marble from Rajasthan and various other parts of the Mughal Empire, an ordinary structure was to be planned but Alam Shah was determined to have a monument to his mother that might vie with the Taj. Somehow, Alam Shah prevailed upon his father who eventually relented. Thus, only the onion dome was built with marble. The rest is of plaster. The work was completed in six years and it cost six-and-a half lakh rupees as compared to the 22 lakh and 22 years that the Taj took.

 The main onion dome of the Maqbara is smaller than the dome of the Taj. Square in shape, the Maqbara has four octagonal minarets. These are shorter than the main structure. There is only one mosque on the main plinth of the Maqbara while there are two mosques on either side of the Taj, giving it symmetry. The mosque, it is said, is a later addition. It was not in the main plan. Bibi Ka Maqbara, a "travesty of the Taj," has a charm and grandeur of its own. It has its own personality, so to say its own identity. It may be like the Taj but it is not its exact replica. At the backdrop of the Maqbara stands the rugged Deccan terrain back, rocky and infinitely lonely. The off-white structure, latticed with colourful motifs and intricate
patterns.The Bibis tomb is decorated moderately. The atmosphere is serene but is laden with the eternal sadness of the ultimate finality.

Architecture of Bibi Ka Maqbara monument

The marble which was used for the construction of this monument was specifically brought from Jaipur. The maqbara is a magnificent enclosure measuring around 458m towards North-South and around 275 m towards East-West.

Main Entrance: There is a huge main entrance gate on the south of the maqbara which is made of wood and is designed with brass plates. There is a huge wall and a small tank located just close to the entrance and beyond that a screened low profile pathway leads one to the monument.

The pathway is loaded with series of trees alongside which makes the path symmetrical garden layout increasing its beauty. The Mughal Char Bagh and fountains at the center beautiful. There is a beautiful, that adorns the maqbara, thus gardens are designed in a typical pattern.

Mausoleum: The

maqbara rests on a high rise

square platform beautifully adorned with four minarets at each corner. The minarets are intricately designed and add beauty to the maqbara. There is a mosque right towards the west of the maqbara. The dado level of the maqbara is tiled up with marbles and above the dado level one finds basaltic rocks right up to the dome, which is again made with marble. The basaltic tiling is plastered with fine polish thus enhancing its look and is intricately designed with various decorations.

Tomb: The mortal remains of Dilras Banu Begum or her tomb is placed below the ground level and it is surrounded by an exquisite octagonal marble screen. There is a small entrance to the tomb by means of a hollow spiral staircase which is presently closed for various reasons.

One can get a glance of this tomb right from the ground level and also through the exquisite octagonal opening. The mausoleum is additionally accompanied with panels which are decorated with amazing flower designs.

Masjid: There is a mosque right towards the west of the maqbara. This masjid closes the entrance to the maqbara from the west side. It was built by Nizam of Hyderabad.

Resemblance to Taj
The monument resembles to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal. But the fact is that Taj Mahal is much huge and majestic then Bibi Ka Maqbara. The constructions though resemble that of the Taj Mahal. It is said that the architect was told to construct the monument in a similar fashion. Though the monument is smaller than Taj Mahal, it is still a magnificent monument in itself. The monument is nestled amidst scenic surroundings with beautiful mountains serving as a picture perfect backdrop. Hence Bibi Ka Maqbara is also known as the Taj of Deccan.

Bibi ka Maqbara
Bibi ka Makbara is affectionately called the Taj of the Deccan. Shahajahan built the great Taj Mahal and his grandson, Prince Ajam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, built Bibi ka Maqbara. It was built as a monument for Dilrasbanu Begam, who was respectfully called Rabia Ud Durrani, for her devoutness reminded people of earlier saint Rabia of Basra. Bibi ka Maqbara is not an exact replica of Taj Mahal but an attempt of imitation was made. Taj Mahal is made completely of Marble, whereas Bibi ka Maqbara is made of marble and limestone together. The central structure of Bibi ka Maqbara is rectangular whereas of Taj it is square shaped. Also, the Bibi ka Maqbara is a quite smaller edifice. History Bibi ka Maqbara was built approximately in a span of six years. Its construction was finished in 1679. It is said that its construction consumed six lakh sixty-six thousand two hundred and thirty-eight rupees. There is a considerable doubt regarding who actually built the monument, Aurangzeb or his son Azam Shah? It is said that Azam Shah wanted to build for his mother something as grand as Taj Mahal, but Aurangzeb was reluctant to spend the great amount of money that would be required. Azam Shahs desire of building the monument totally with marble was never fulfilled, but somehow, it is said, that he had got approved from Aurangzeb enough marble to build the dome and the most part of the central structure. The four minarets, which stand in four corners, are built from limestone and other ordinary material. Many sources say that Aurangzeb built Bibi ka Maqbara for his beloved fourth wife Dilras Banu. It is important to notice that Aurangzeb was the person followed an unadorned life. He lived in the simplest way. He is infamous for his abhorrence towards artists. So, him building anything such as Bibi ka Maqbara seems unlikely. Therefore, it is widely believed that Prince Azam Shah was the one who built this mausoleum. However, it cannot be ignored that when Bibi ka Maqbara was built, Aurangzeb was the emperor of India and at peak of his power. Of some interesting episodes relating the Bibi ka

Maqbara, one is of Nizam Sikandar Jahan. It said that he had ordered in the early 19th century the dismantling of the whole structure when he had seen it. His, virtually impossible, plan was to carry the Bibi ka Maqbara to Hyderabad, which was his capital. Fortunately, he had realized the jeopardy of his plan within time and called off the command. He built the mosque standing besides the central building as a penance. Another interesting tale is that of a European traveler, who had passed through these regions while the Bibi ka Maqbara was being built. He had witness hundreds of bullock carts carrying marble. He was told they were for the construction of a monument. The Structure The majestic structure of Bibi ka Maqbara is the most distinguished landmark of Aurangabad. This monument can be spotted even from the tall buildings that exist on the other end of the city. As you approach the Bibi ka Maqbara, you spot it from some distance and it immediately grabs your attention. The onion shaped marble dome and the four minarets that enclose the central structure, present a fantastic view from the outside. A long rectangular wall, having delicate bastions on its corners, surrounds the monument and the beautiful garden around it. This wall is well adorned and it demonstrates the artistic masonry of Mughal periods. The entrance gate of the Bibi ka Maqbara is another fine structure within itself. Its smooth white walls are attractive and its large gate and dome shaped inner portion of the ceiling has intriguing design involving intricate patterns. The pavement that leads to the mausoleum lies on the sides of an oblong pool with beautiful fountains. A walk from here provides a grand view of Bibi ka Maqbara. The beauty of both, Taj Mahal and owing to it of Bibi ka Maqbara, lies in their simple but artistic structure. The main Mausoleum of Bibi ka Maqbara is rectangular. Atop it is a large dome surrounded by four smaller domes. Most of the portions of this structure including complete dome are made of marble; the rest is limestone. Walls here have beautiful chisel-work; there are gorgeous designs and motifs carved in marble. Latticed windows and vents have intricate patterns. Four tall minarets enclose the mausoleum. These are made of completely of limestone. The tomb or Rabia Durrani lies in the center of the mausoleum. From inside, it is octagonal and its ceiling dome shaped. Silence within this chamber is entrancing. An octagonal gallery presents the view of the actual tomb, which resides at the bottom. This chamber is truly magnificent; it demonstrates the competence of Indian Artists in 17th century. The overall ambiance of this place makes you wistful. Surrounding the mausoleum is a beautiful garden. To amble through it, to feel the serenity of the surroundings, there are symmetrically built pavements. A stroll through the gardens offers various angles of Bibi ka Maqbara. There is a mosque present here which was built later during the Nizam rule. A museum displaying artifacts of Mughal period and some sculptures found during archeological excavation is also present here.

The Shalimar Gardens is a Persian garden and it was built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan in Lahore, modern day Pakistan. Construction began in 1641 CE (1051 AH) and was completed the following year. Architecture The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. This garden was made on the concept of Char Bhagh. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort. The three level terraces of the Gardens The Gardens have been laid out from south to north in three descending terraces, which are elevated by 45 metres (13-15 feet) above one another. The three terraces have names in Urdu as follows:

The upper terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure. The middle terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness. The lower terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of life.

Shah Nahar : Irrigation of the Gardens To irrigate the Gardens, a canal named Shah Nahar meaning Royal canal, later also known as Hansti nahar, meaning Laughing canal was brought from Rajpot (present day Madhpur in India), a distance of over 161 kilometers. The canal intersected the Gardens and discharged into a large marble basin in the middle terrace. 410 fountains From this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. It is a credit to the creativity of Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable to comprehensive The distribution of the fountains is as follows:

The upper level terrace has 105 fountains. The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.

The lower level terrace has 153 fountains. All combined, the Gardens therefore have 410 fountains.

The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon. The buildings of the Gardens include:

Sawan Bhadum-pavilions Naqar buildings Khana and its

Aramgah or Resting place Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife

Khwabgah or chambers

Sleeping

Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor

Hammam or Royal bath The Aiwan or Grand hall

Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens