MOSQUES AND GATEWAYS Shruti Pawan (2015uar1116)

Aashna Arora (2015uar1717)

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE Mayank Jain (2015uar1769)
INTRODUCTION
All the early Mughal Rulers except Aurangzeb were great
bui1ders. With the coming of the Mughals, Indian architecture was
greatly influenced by Persian styles.
 The Mughals constructed excellent mausoleums, mosques, forts,
gardens and cities. The Mughal buildings show a uniform pattern
both in structure and character.
The main characteristic features of Mughal architecture are the
bulbous domes, the slender minarets with cupolas at the four corners,
large halls, massive vaulted gateways and delicate ornamentation.
Mughal architecture begins with Akbar who showed his passion for
building by planning and constructing splendid edifices. During his
reign Mughal architecture took on new forms. Akbar made free use
of both Hindu and Persian styles. The use of red sandstone inlaid
with white marble and painted designs on walls and ceiling are the
salient features of Akbar's buildings.
INTRODUCTION
The monuments of Sher Shah are a continuation of the
Lodi style. The mausoleums are octagonal in plan and
have verandahs around them, surmounted by huge domes.
The verandahs have three smaller domes on each side.
Sher Shah built the Purana Quila in Delhi. Started by
him, it was completed by Humayun. Built of red and buff
sand-stone, it is ornamented with black and white marble
and coloured tiles. A beautiful mosque inside the Quila
with ornamental arches, decorative panels, geometrical
designs and inscriptions is an example of the development
of architecture and ornamentation during Sher Shah's
reign.
 Sher Shah of the Sur Dynasty who ruled over the
Kingdom of the Mughals after driving Humayun out of
the country was not only a great administrator but a lover
of art also. He built several forts, tombs and mosques.
FEATURES OF MOSQUE AND MUGHAL

GATEWAYS ARCHITECTURE
WHAT IS MOSQUE?
From India to the United Kingdom, the mosque in its many forms is the quintessential
Islamic building. The mosque, masjid in Arabic, is the Muslim gathering place for
prayer. Masjid simply means “place of prostration.” Though most of the five daily
prayers prescribed in Islam can take place anywhere, all men are required to gather
together at the mosque for the Friday noon prayer.
Mosques are also used throughout the week for prayer, study, or simply as a place
for rest and reflection. The main mosque of a city, used for the Friday communal
prayer, is called a jami masjid, literally meaning “Friday mosque,” but it is also
sometimes called a congregational mosque in English. The style, layout, and
decoration of a mosque can tell us a lot about Islam in general, but also about the
period and region in which the mosque was constructed.
BASIC DESGN
The architecture of a mosque is
shaped most strongly by the regional
traditions of the time and place
where it was built. As a result, style,
layout, and decoration can vary
greatly. Nevertheless, because of the
common function of the mosque as a
place of congregational prayer,
certain architectural features appear
in mosques all over the world.
COMMON FEATURES
The architecture of a mosque is shaped most
strongly by the regional traditions of the time and
place where it was built. As a result, style, layout,
and decoration can vary greatly. Nevertheless,
because of the common function of the mosque as a
place of congregational prayer, certain architectural
features appear in mosques all over the world.
 SAHN (COURTYARD)
The most fundamental necessity of congregational
mosque architecture is that it be able to hold the
entire male population of a city or town (women are
welcome to attend Friday prayers, but not required
to do so). To that end congregational mosques must
have a large prayer hall. In many mosques this is
adjoined to an open courtyard, called a sahn.
Within the courtyard one often finds a fountain, its
waters both a welcome respite in hot lands, and
important for the ablutions (ritual cleansing) done
before prayer.
 MIHRAB (NICHE)
Another essential element of a mosque’s
architecture is a mihrab—a niche in the wall that
indicates the direction of Mecca, towards which all
Muslims pray. Mecca is the city in which the Prophet
Muhammad was born, and the home of the most
important Islamic site, the Kaaba. The direction of
Mecca is called the qibla, and so the wall in which
the mihrab is set is called the qibla wall. No matter
where a mosque is, its mihrab indicates the direction
of Mecca (or as near that direction as science and
geography were able to place it). Therefore,
a mihrab in India will be to the west, while a one in
Egypt will be to the east. A mihrab is usually a
relatively shallow niche.
 MINARET (TOWER)
One of the most visible aspects of mosque
architecture is the minaret, a tower adjacent or
attached to a mosque, from which the call to prayer
is announced.
Minarets take many different forms—from the
famous spiral minaret of Samarra, to the tall, pencil
minarets of Ottoman Turkey. Not solely functional in
nature, the minaret serves as a powerful visual
reminder of the presence of Islam.
 QUBBA (DOME)
Most mosques also feature one or more domes,
called qubba in Arabic. While not a ritual
requirement like the mihrab, a dome does possess
significance within the mosque—as a symbolic
representation of the vault of heaven. The interior
decoration of a dome often emphasizes this
symbolism, using intricate geometric, stellate, or
vegetal motifs to create breathtaking patterns
meant to awe and inspire. Some mosque types
incorporate multiple domes into their architecture,
while others only feature one. In mosques with only a
single dome, it is invariably found surmounting the
qibla wall, the holiest section of the mosque.
 FURNISHINGS
There are other decorative elements common to
most mosques. For instance, a large calligraphic
frieze or a cartouche with a prominent inscription
often appears above the mihrab. In most cases the
calligraphic inscriptions are quotations from the
Qur’an, and often include the date of the building's
dedication and the name of the patron. Another
important feature of mosque decoration are
hanging lamps, also visible in the photograph of the
Sultan Hasan mosque. Light is an essential feature
for mosques, since the first and last daily prayers
occur before the sun rises and after the sun sets.
Before electricity, mosques were illuminated with oil
lamps.
 MOSQUE PATRONAGE
Most historical mosques are not stand-alone buildings.
Many incorporated charitable institutions like soup
kitchens, hospitals, and schools. Some mosque patrons also
chose to include their own mausoleum as part of their
mosque complex. The endowment of charitable institutions
is an important aspect of Islamic culture, due in part to the
third pillar of Islam, which calls for Muslims to donate a
portion of their income to the poor.
The commissioning of a mosque would be seen as a
pious act on the part of a ruler or other wealthy patron,
and the names of patrons are usually included in the
calligraphic decoration of mosques. Such inscriptions also
often praise the piety and generosity of the patron.
EXAMPLES OF MOSQUES AND MUGHAL

GATEWAYS ARCHITECTURE
BULAND DARWAZA
 Fatehpur Sikri
Buland Darwaza is the highest gateway in the world
and is an example of Mughal architecture. It
displays Akbar's empire.
The Buland Darwaza is made of red and
buff sandstone, decorated by white and
black marble and is higher than the
courtyard of the mosque.
The Buland Darwaza is symmetrical and
is topped by large free standing kiosks,
which are the chhatris. It also has at the
top center, terrace edge gallery-kiosks on
the roof, stylized buckler-battlements,
small minar-spires, and inlay work with
white and black marble.
On the outside a long flight of steps
sweeps down the hill giving the gateway
additional height. It is 40 metres high and
50 metres from the ground. The total
height of the structure is about 54 metres
from the ground level. It is a 15-storied
high gateway acting as the southern
entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri.
The approach to the gate consists of 42
steps
It is semi octagonal in plan and
two smaller triple-storeyed wings on
either side.
It has three kiosks on its top
surrounded by thirteen smaller
domed kiosks.
There are smaller turrets
surrounding the gateway. The
expanse is broken by arched niches,
small chhatries and marble
highlights. It highlights the courtyard
of the Jama Masjid.
The principal arch stands in the
centre of three projecting sides and
topped by a dome. The central arch
is broken into three tiers with rows
of smaller arches and flat brackets.
The great gate itself is plain. The three
horizontal panels of buff stone noticeable
in Badshahi Darwaza are also present
here.
The plain red sandstone spandrels are
framed in white marble with a flower like
ornament inlaid in white marble at the
apex of the arch, and a flattish rosette,
centered with the narrow panel above it,
on either side.
The cusped ornament, large and bold in
fact, but small and delicate when seen
from below, is carried down below the
springing of the arch. Two pieces have
been broken off from the left hand side
and eight from the right.
The arch has three actual openings
bordered by decorative panels and
superimposed by three other arched
openings crowned by a semi-dome. The
total height of the Gate above the
pavement is 176 ft.
JAMA MASJID
 Delhi
The Masjid-i Jahān-Numā, commonly known as
the Jama Masjid, is one of the largest mosques in
India.
It was built by Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656
at a cost of 1 million rupees, and was
inaugurated by an imam from
Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan.
The floor plan of the mosque is
similar to that of the Jama Masjid of
Agra.
It is covered with white and black
ornamented marble to look like a
Muslim prayer mat.
Beside it, a thin black border
measuring 3 feet (0.91 m) long and
1.5 feet (0.46 m) wide is marked for
the worshippers. There are 899 total
such boxes.
The mosque has three great gates,
four towers and two 40 m
high minarets constructed of strips
of red sandstone and white marble.
 The northern gate has 39 steps and
the southern side has 33 steps. The
eastern gate was the rural entrance
and it has 35 steps
 The northern gate has 39 steps and
the southern side has 33 steps. The
eastern gate was the rural entrance
and it has 35 steps.
 The mosque is built on a red
sandstone porch, which is about 30
feet (9.1 m) from ground level and
spreads over 1200 square meter.
The dome is flanked by two lofty
minarets which are 130 feet (40 m)
high and consists of 130 steps,
longitudinally striped by marble and
red sandstone.
The minarets consists of five storeys,
each with a protruding balcony. The
adjoining edifices are filled
with calligraphy. The first three
storeys of the minarets is made of red
sandstone, the fourth of marble and
the fifth of sandstone.
The courtyard can accommodate
25,000 worshippers and occupies
408 square feet. The mosque is about
261 feet (80 m) long and 90 feet (27
m) wide.
The prayer hall measures 61 metre
in length and 27.5 metre in breadth.
It is made up of high cusped arches
and marble domes.
The cabinet located in the north
gate has a collection of relics of
Muhammad – the Quran written on
deerskin, a red beard-hair of the
prophet, his sandals and his footprints
implanted in a marble block.
MOTI MASJID
 Delhi
The Moti Masjid is a white marble mosque inside the
Red Fort complex in Delhi, India. The name translates
into English as "Pearl Mosque." Located to the west of
the Hammam and close to the Diwan-e-Khas, it was
built by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb from 1659-
1660.
The mosque was built by the Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb at the Red Fort
complex in Delhi, India, from 1659-1660
for his personal use. The mosque was also
used by the ladies of the Zenana. The
mosque was constructed at a cost of Rs.
160,000.
The prayer hall has three arches, and it
is divided into two aisles. It is surmounted
with three bulbous domes, which were
originally covered in gilded copper. The
gilded copper was probably lost after
the Indian rebellion of 1857.
The outer walls are oriented in symmetry
with the outer walls of the fort, while the
inner walls are at a slightly different
orientation to align with the location of
Mecca.
The eastern door is provided with
copper-plated leaves.
The mosque is plastered in white on
the outside. Inside is the white marble
courtyard and a prayer hall, which
stands on a higher level than the
courtyard. The floor of the prayer-
hall is inlaid with outlines of small
carpets for prayers (musalla) in black
marble
 In the middle of the courtyard is a
small, square ablution fountain. The
courtyard measures 40 x 35 feet.
TAJ-UL-MASAJID
 Bhopal
Taj-ul-Masajid is a mosque situated in Bhopal, India.
The name is also spelt as Taj-ul-Masjid. However the
correct name is Taj-ul-Masajid and not Taj-ul-Masjid.
"Masajid" means "mosques" (Plural of "masjid") and
"Taj-ul-Masajid" literally means "Crown Among
Mosques". It is one of the largest mosques in India.
The construction of the Mosque was
initiated during the reign of the Mughal
Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar by
Nawab Shah Jahan Begum (1844–
1860 and 1868–1901) of Bhopal
(Wife of Baqi Mohammad Khan) and
continued to be built by her daughter
Sultan Jahan Begum, till her lifetime.
The mosque was not completed due to
lack of funds, and after a long lay-off
after the War of 1857, construction was
resumed in 1971 by great efforts of
Allama Mohammad Imran Khan Nadwi
Azhari and Maulana Sayed Hashmat Ali
Sahab of Bhopal.
The construction was completed by 1985
and the entrance (eastern) gate was
renovated grandly using ancient motifs from
circa 1250 Syrian mosques by the
contribution of the Emir of Kuwait to
commemorate the memory of his departed
wife.
The Mosque has a pink facade topped by
two 18-storey high octagonal minarets with
marble domes.
The Mosque also has three huge bulbous
domes, an impressive main hallway with
attractive pillars and marble flooring
resembling Mughal architecture the likes of
Jama Masjid in Delhi and the huge Badshahi
Mosque of Lahore.
It has a courtyard with a large tank in the
centre. It has a double-storeyed gateway
with four recessed archways and nine
cusped multifold openings in the main
prayer hall.
The Quibla wall in the prayer hall is carved
with eleven recessed arches and has fine
screens of trellis work.
The massive pillars in the hall hold 27
ceilings through squinted arches of which 16
ceilings are decorated with ornate petaled
designs.
 Shruti Pawan (2015uar1116)
THANK YOU Aashna Arora (2015uar1717)
Mayank Jain (2015uar1769)