Coordinates: 31°35′17″N 74°18′36″E

Badshahi Mosque
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The Badshahi Mosque (Punjabi and Urdu: ! #$
" '%)*%,+ -.%/" ​, Badshahi Mosque
or "Imperial Mosque") is a Mughal era mosque in Lahore,
‫بادشاہی مسجد‬
capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.[1] The mosque is
located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled
City of Lahore,[2] and is widely considered to be one of
Lahore's most iconic landmarks.[3]

Badshahi Mosque was commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb

in 1671, with construction of the mosque lasting for two years
until 1673. The mosque is an important example of Mughal
architecture, with an exterior that is decorated with carved
red sandstone with marble inlay. It remains the largest and
most recent of the grand imperial mosques of the Mughal-
A view of the mosque's prayer hall
era, and is the second-largest mosque in Pakistan.[4] After
the fall of the Mughal Empire, the mosque was used as a
garrison by the Sikh Empire and the British Empire, but is
now one of Pakistan's most iconic sights.

Contents
Location
Background
History Location in Lahore, Pakistan
Construction
Show map of Lahore
Sikh era
Show map of Pakistan
British Rule
Show all
Post-independence
Architecture Basic information
Entryway of the complex Location Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Courtyard
Geographic 31°35′17″N 74°18′36″E
Prayer hall
coordinates
Minarets
Gallery Affiliation Sunni Islam

Further reading Country Pakistan

References Architectural description
Notes Architect(s) Nawab Zain Yar Jang
See also Bahadur
External links Architectural type Mosque
Architectural style Indo-Islamic, Mughal
Location Completed 1673
Specifications
Capacity 56,000
Dome(s) 3
Minaret(s) 8 (4 major, 4 minor)
Minaret height 176 ft 4 in (53.75 m)
Materials Red sandstone, marble

The mosque is located

adjacent to the Walled City of
Lahore, Pakistan. The
entrance to the mosque lies
on the western side of the
Badshahi Mosque stands across the rectangular Hazuri Bagh,
Hazuri Bagh from Lahore Fort.
and faces towards the
famous Alamgiri Gate of the
Lahore Fort, which is located on the eastern side of the Hazuri Bagh. The Badshahi Mosque is renowned for
the carved marble and elaborate
mosque is also located next to the Roshnai Gate, one of the original
plasterwork that are used throughout
thirteen gates of Lahore, which is located on the southern side of the
the mosque's interior.
Hazuri Bagh.[5]

Near the entrance of the mosque lies the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal, a poet widely revered in Pakistan as the founder
of the Pakistan Movement which led to the creation of Pakistan as a homeland for the Muslims of British India.[6] Also
located near the mosque's entrance is the tomb of Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, who is credited for playing a major role in
preservation and restoration of the mosque.[7]

Background
Lahore was considered a strategic center as it protected the empire from potential
invaders from the west.[4] The city was made an imperial capital by the earlier
Emperor, Akbar, who established the nearby Lahore Fort.

The sixth Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, chose Lahore for as the site for his new
imperial mosque. Aurangzeb, unlike the previous emperors, was not a major
patron of art and architecture and instead focused much of his reign on various
military conquests, which added over 3 million square kilometres to the Mughal
realm.[8]

The mosque was built to commemorate military campaigns against the Maratha
king Chhatrapati Shivaji, although construction of the mosque exhausted the
Mughal treasury and weakened the Mughal state.[4] As a symbol of the mosque's Entrance to the main prayer
importance, it was built directly across from the Lahore Fort and its Alamgiri hall is through arches made
Gate, which was concurrently built by Aurangzeb during construction of the of red sandstone and
elaborately carved white
mosque.[9]
marble.

History
Construction
The mosque's was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671, with
construction overseen by the Emperor's foster brother, and Governor of Lahore,
Muzaffar Hussein - also known by the name Fidai Khan Koka.[10] Aurangzeb had
the mosque built in order to commemorate his military campaigns against the
Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji.[4] After only two years of construction, the
mosque was opened in 1673.

Sikh era
On 7 July 1799, the Sikh army of Ranjit Singh took control of Lahore.[11] After the
capture of the city, Maharaja Ranjit Singh used it as vast courtyard as a stable for
his army horses, and its 80 Hujras (small study rooms surrounding the courtyard)
The Badshahi Mosque
as quarters for his soldiers and as magazines for military stores.[12] In 1818, he features a monumental
built a marble edifice in the Hazuri Bagh facing the mosque, known as the Hazuri gateway that faces the
Bagh Baradari,[13] which he used as his official royal court of audience.[14] Marble Hazuri Bagh quadrangle and
slabs for the baradari may have been plundered by the Sikhs from other Lahore Fort.
monuments in Lahore.[15]

During the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1841, Ranjit Singh's son, Sher Singh, used the
mosque's large minarets for placement of zamburahs or light guns which were
used to bombard the supporters of Chand Kaur, who had taken refuge in the
besieged Lahore Fort. In one of these bombardments, the fort's Diwan-e-Aam
(Hall of Public Audience) was destroyed, but was subsequently rebuilt by the
British.[2] During this time, Henri de La Rouche, a French cavalry officer
employed in the army of Sher Singh,[16] also used a tunnel connecting the
Badshahi mosque to the Lahore fort to temporarily store gunpowder.[17]

In 1848, the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh was built for the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh at a
site immediately adjacent to the mosque after his death.

The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh

British Rule
(white edifice) is a Sikh
In 1849 the British seized control of Lahore from the Sikh Empire. During the shrine that was built next to
British Raj, the mosque and the adjoining fort continued to be used as a military the mosque in 1848.
garrison. The 80 cells built into the walls surrounding the its vast courtyard were
demolished by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, so as to prevent them
from being used for anti-British activities. The cells were replaced by open arcades known as dalans.[18]

Because of increasing Muslim resentment against the use of the mosque as a military garrison, the British set up the
Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852 to oversee the restoration and to re-establish it as a place of religious worship.
From then onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. The
building was officially handed back to the Muslim community by John Lawrence, who was the Viceroy of India.[19]
The building was then re-established as a mosque.
In April 1919, after the Amritsar Massacre, a mixed Sikh, Hindu and
Muslim crowd of an estimated 25,000-35,000 gathered in the mosque's
courtyard in protest. A speech by Gandhi was read at the event by Khalifa
Shuja-ud-Din, who would later become Speaker of the Provincial
Assembly of the Punjab.[20][21]

Extensive repairs commenced from 1939 onwards, when Sikandar Hayat

Khan began raising funds for this purpose.[22] Renovation was supervised
by supervised by the architect Nawab Alam Yar Jung Bahadur.[23] As Badshahi Mosque had fallen into
Khan was largely credited for extensive restorations to the mosque, he disrepair after the city's Sikh rulers
was buried adjacent to the mosque in the Hazuri Bagh. desecrated the site.

Post-independence
Restoration works begun in 1939 continued after the Independence of Pakistan,
and were completed in 1960 at a total cost of 4.8 million Rupees.[23]

On the occasion of the 2nd Islamic Summit held at Lahore on 22 February 1974,
thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi
Mosque, including, among others, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, Faisal of Saudi
Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi, Yasser Arafat, and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of
Kuwait. The prayers were led by Mawlānā Abdul Qadir Azad, the then khatib of
the mosque.[24]

In 1993, the Badshahi Mosque in a tentative list as a UNESCO World Heritage

Site.[25] 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 was
begun using red sandstone imported from the original Mughal source near Jaipur, The mosque is heavily used
in the Indian state of Rajasthan.[26][27] during the Islamic month of
Ramadan.

Architecture
As a gateway to the west, and Persia in particular, Lahore had a strong regional style which was heavily influenced by
Persian architectural styles. Earlier mosques, such as the Wazir Khan Mosque, were adorned in intricate kashi kari, or
Kashan style tile work,[4] from which the Badshahi Mosque would depart. Aurangzeb chose an architectural plan
similar to that of Shah Jehan's choice for the Jama Masjid in Delhi, though built the Badshahi mosque on a much
larger scale.[28] Both mosques feature red sandstone with white marble inlay, which is a departure from typical
mosque design in Lahore, in which decoration is done by means of intricate tile work.[29]

Entryway of the complex

Entrance to the mosque complex is via a two-storey edifice built of red sandstone which is elaborately decorated with
framed and carved paneling on each of its facades.[25] The edifice features a muqarna, an architectural feature from
the Middle East that was first introduced into Mughal architecture with construction of the nearby and ornate Wazir
Khan Mosque.
The mosque's full name "Masjid Abul Zafar Muhy-ud-Din Mohammad Alamgir
Badshah Ghazi" is written in inlaid marble above the vaulted entrance.[30] The
mosque's gateway faces east towards the Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort, which
was also commissioned by Aurangzeb. The massive entrance and mosque are
situated on a plinth, which is ascended by a flight of 22 steps at the mosque's main
gate which.[31] The gateway itself contains several chambers which are not
accessible to the public. One of the rooms is said to contain hairs from the Prophet
Muhammad's, and that of his son-in-law Ali.[32]

Courtyard
After passing through the massive gate, an expansive sandstone paved courtyard
spreads over an area of 276,000 square feet, and which can accommodate
100,000 worshipers when functioning as an Idgah.[31] The courtyard is enclosed The mosque's interior is
embellished with Mughal
by single-aisled arcades.
frescoes and carved marble.

Prayer hall
The main edifice at the site was also built from red sandstone, and is decorated
with white marble inlay.[25] The prayer chamber has a central arched niche with
five niches flanking it which are about one third the size of the central niche. The
mosque has three marble domes, the largest of which is located in the centre of the
mosque, and which is flanked by two smaller domes.[30]

Both the interior and exterior of the mosque are decorated with elaborate white
marble carved with a floral design common to Mughal art. The carvings at
Badshahi mosque are considered to be uniquely fine and unsurpassed works of
Mughal architecture.[25] The chambers on each side of the main chamber contains
rooms which were used for religious instruction. The mosque can accommodate
10,000 worshippers in the prayer hall.[6]
The mosque features
intricate Mughal frescoes.
Minarets
At each of the four corners of the mosque, there are octagonal, three storey
minarets made of red sandstone that are 196 feet (60 m) tall, with an outer circumference of 67 feet and the inner
circumference is eight and half feet. Each minaret is topped by a marble canopy. The main building of the mosque also
features an additional four smaller minarets at each corner of the building.

Gallery
The ceiling of the prayer Entry gateway, as viewed Silhouette of the Badshahi Masjid
hall is embellished with from the mosque’s mosque's architectural
elegant floral frescoes courtyard elements
and Middle-Eastern style
muqarnas.

The mosque's southern The interior of the An example of Badshahi The Tomb of Allama
view from Fort Street mosque is embellished Mosque's intricate Iqbal is located
with intricate floral motifs. decoration. immediately north of the
mosque's monumental
gateway

Light fixtures at the An evening view of the The mosque at night A view over the
mosque Badshahi Mosque. mosque's marble domes.
 A view of Badshahi The mosque's entry Entry gate's design View from Iqbal Park
Mosque from the gateway connects the
Alamgiri Gate. mosque to the Hazuri
Bagh

Further reading
Asher, Catherine B., Architecture of Mughal India: The New Cambridge History of India Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1992.
Chugtai, M.A., Badshahi Mosque, Lahore: Lahore, 1972.
Gascoigne, Bamber, The Great Mughals, New York: Harper & Row, 1971.
Koch, Ebba, Mughal Architecture, Munich: Prestel-Verlag, 1992.

References
1. "Lahore's iconic mosque stood witness to two historic moments where tolerance gave way to brutality" (http://scro
ll.in/article/814923/lahores-iconic-mosque-stood-witness-to-two-historic-moments-where-tolerance-gave-way-to-b
rutality).
2. "Badshahi Mosque" (https://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/mosque_badshahi.html). Ualberta.ca. Retrieved 2 January
2014.
3. "Holiday tourism: Hundreds throng Lahore Fort, Badshahi Masjid - The Express Tribune" (http://tribune.com.pk/st
ory/772574/holiday-tourism-hundreds-throng-lahore-fort-badshahi-masjid/). 9 October 2014. Retrieved
10 September 2016.
4. Meri, Joseph (31 October 2005). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 91.
5. Waheed ud Din, p.14
6. Waheed Ud Din, p.15
7. IH Malik Sikandar Hayat Khan: A Biography Islamabad: NIHCR, 1984. p 127
8. "Badshahi Moqsue, Lahore" (http://www.architecturecourses.org/badshahi-mosque-lahore). Architecture Courses.
Retrieved 24 August 2016.
9. 1673 Architecture: Badshahi Mosque. LLC Books. 1 June 2010. ISBN 9781156355275. "The mosque was built
opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the
mosque, a new gate was built at the Fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor."
10. Meri, p.91
11. "Welcome to the Sikh Encyclopedia" (http://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/pakistan/lahore.html).
Thesikhencyclopedia.com. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
12. Sidhwa, Bapsi (1 January 2005). "City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore" (https://books.google.com/book
s?id=AxnjJp_kpFkC&pg=PA23). Penguin Books India. Retrieved 10 December 2016 – via Google Books.
13. Tikekar, p. 74
14. Khullar, K. K. (1980). Maharaja Ranjit Singh (https://books.google.com/books?id=zoMeAAAAMAAJ). Hem
 Publishers. p. 7. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
15. Marshall, Sir John Hubert (1906). Archaeological Survey of India. Office of the Superintendent of Government
Printing.
16. "De La Roche, Henri Francois Stanislaus" (https://web.archive.org/web/20101227181624/http://www.allaboutsikh
s.com/british/de-la-roche-henri-francois-stanislaus.html). allaboutsikhs.com. Archived from the original (http://ww
w.allaboutsikhs.com/british/de-la-roche-henri-francois-stanislaus.html) on 27 December 2010. Retrieved
10 January 2014.
17. Grey, C. (1993). European Adventures of Northern India. Asian Educational Services. pp. 343–. ISBN 978-81-
206-0853-5.
18. Development of mosque Architecture in Pakistan by Ahmad Nabi Khan, p.114
19. Amin, Agha Humayun. "Political and Military Situation from 1839 to 1857" (http://www.defencejournal.com/nov99/
pol-mil-situation.htm). Retrieved 24 August 2016.
20. Lloyd, Nick (30 September 2011). The Amritsar Massacre: The Untold Story of One Fateful Day. I.B.Tauris.
21. Note: Reports on the Punjab Disturbances April 1919 (https://books.google.com/books?id=D-cwAQAAMAAJ&q=
%22badshahi+mosque%22+1919&dq=%22badshahi+mosque%22+1919&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8jb-vodv
OAhUKNiYKHb5zC5AQ6AEIHjAA) gives a figure of 25,000
22. Omer Tarin, Sir Sikandar Hyat Khan and the Renovation of the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore: An Historical Survey,
in Pakistan Historical Digest Vol 2, No 4, Lahore, 1995, pp. 21-29
23. "Badshahi Mosque (built 1672–74)" (http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/pakistan/lahore/badshahi.php).
Retrieved 2013-05-16.
24. "Report on Islamic Summit, 1974 Pakistan, Lahore, February 22–24, 1974", Islamabad: Department of Films and
Publications, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Auqaf and Haj, Government of Pakistan, 1974 (p. 332)
25. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Badshahi Mosque, Lahore – UNESCO World Heritage Centre" (http://whc.une
sco.org/en/tentativelists/1277/). Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
26. "Badshahi Mosque Re-flooring" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120401060444/http://www.archpresspk.com/May
_Mosque.htm). Archpresspk.com. Archived from the original (http://www.archpresspk.com/May_Mosque.htm) on
1 April 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
27. "Badshahi Mosque" (http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/badshahi-mosque). Retrieved 2013-05-16.
28. Akhter, p.270
29. "Badshahi Masjid" (http://archnet.org/sites/2741). Archnet. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
30. Meri, p.92
31. Tikekar, p.73
32. Black, p.21
Notes
Josef W. Meri. Medieval Islamic Civilization. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0415966914.
Maneesha Tikekar. Across the Wagah. Bibliophile South Asia. ISBN 8185002347.
Carolyn Black. Pakistan: The culture. Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN 0778793486.
Waheed Ud Din. The Marching Bells: A Journey of a Life Time. Author House. ISBN 9781456744144.

See also
Tourism in Punjab, Pakistan
Architecture of Lahore
Wazir Khan Mosque

External links
Asian Historical Architecture: Badshahi Mosque (http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/pakistan/lahore/badshahi.ph
p)
 UNESCO Tentative Heritage List: Badshahi Mosque (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1277/)

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