JAUNPUR AND

LUCKNOW
ARCHITECTURE

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 JAUNPUR
A.D. 1360- A.D. 1480

The Governor of Jaunpur, an eastern province of the sultanate

was given the title 'Malik-ush-Sharq' (King of the East) by the
Tughlaq monarch in Delhi. Hence, the dynasty was called the
Sharqi dynasty.
Most of the structures of the style were destroyed when
Sikander Lodi of Delhi reconquered Jaunpur, leaving only 5
mosques.

The style was mainly formed under Sultan Shams-ud-Din

Ibrahim (1402- 36).
  Pylons built on the facade to accentuate
entrances etc. are a common feature.
 Arches are of the 'depressed four
centered' or 'Tudor' variety with 'Fleur-de-
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Lys' fringes.
Salient Features:  The predominantly Hindu masons
and artisans were more comfortable with
the pillar, beam and bracket (trabeate)
system of construction which was
frequently used.
 The pillars have square monolithic shafts
with bands across the middle. 
 ATALA MASJID

Built by Shams-ud-Din Ibrahim in A.D. 1408 on the

foundation built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq 30 years before.

Built on the site of the Atala Devi temple whose materials

along with those of other temples were used in its
construction.

Provided the model on which all future mosques of the

style would be based.

The mosque consists of a square courtyard of 177' side

with cloisters on 3 sides and the sanctuary on the fourth
(western) side. Entire mosque is a square of 258' side.
PLAN OF ATALA MOSQUE
•Cloisters

• Cloisters are spacious, being 42' across and

divided into 5 aisles.
• The cloisters rise up to 2 storeys.
• Two aisles of the lower storey are formed
into a series of cells with a pillared verandah
facing the street to provide
accommodation to visitors and merchants.
• There are 3 entrance gateways, one in
the centre of each cloister, with the northern
and southern ones surmounted by domes.
 Sanctuary
 In the centre of the sanctuary facade, the The dome is 57' high on the inside and
entrance to the nave is articulated by a lofty constructed by means of circular courses of
pylon, 75' high and 55' wide at the base. stone. The exterior is covered with a layer
of cement to give it a spherical curve.
 The pylon houses an 11' deep arched recess
which contains the entrance doorway to the Each transept is a pillared hall with an octagonal
sanctuary nave and the windows which light bay in the centre roofed by a smaller dome.
it. The transept at both ends becomes two storied,
the upper compartment surrounded by
 This arched pylon is the main theme of the perforated screens forming a zenana chamber for
structure (and the style as a whole), being women.
repeated by smaller pylons on either side of
the central one and also on the gateways in
the cloisters.
 The interior of the sanctuary consists of a
central nave of 35' X 30' with pillared transepts
on either side. The nave is roofed high up by a
hemispherical dome.
LAL DARWAZA
MOSQUE
 Built by Bibi Raja in A.D. 1450.
 Built as almost a replica of the Atala Masjid,
except about 2/3rd in size and the location of
the zenana chamber is placed at the centre
adjoining the nave, instead of to the ends of the
transepts.
 The courtyard is a square 132' side.
 Due to the smaller size, only the central pylon in
the sanctuary facade is built, the smaller side
pylon being omitted.
 The gateways follow the design of the sanctuary
entrance.
 The mosque gets its name from the high gate
painted with vermilion through which it was
approached from the palace it was attached to.
PLAN OF LAL DARWAZA MOSQUE
This small mosque is located on the outskirts of modern
Jaunpur. It was commissioned by Bibi Raja, queen of Sharqi
Sultan Mahmud Shah (1436-1450). It appears to have been
a private chapel attached to a palace, which has since
disappeared.

The mosque complex, similar to the Atala Masjid, consists

of a rectangular prayer hall preceded by a colonnaded
courtyard to the east. The courtyard is entered from three
gates facing north, east and south. Its eastern portal was
named Lal Darwaza (The Red Portal) following its red
sandstone construction.

The single-story colonnade of the courtyard is two bays

deep. The mosque prayer hall is built on a plinth. A set of
steps leads up to its main portal, it is close to fifteen meters
in height. The prayer hall is four bays deep, with an
adjoining women's section (zenana). Most of the
construction material, including pillars, lintels, brackets and
flat ceilings, was appropriated from Hindu monuments.
  Built by Husain Shah in A.D.
1470.
 Repeats many of the
essential features of the
Atala Masjid on a larger
scale.
 The entire structure is raised
on a plinth 16'-20' in height
JAMI MASJID and approached by a steep
but imposing flight of steps.
 1.Plan: The mosque has a rectangular plan with a central courtyard. The courtyard is surrounded by
cloisters on three sides, and the fourth side contains the prayer hall.

2.Prayer Hall: The prayer hall is an imposing structure with high walls and large domes. The hall is
divided into five bays by a series of arches, and each bay is topped by a dome. The central dome is the
largest and is supported by four pillars. The prayer hall also contains a mihrab, which indicates the
direction
Features of JamiofMasjid
Mecca, and a minbar, which is a pulpit from where the imam delivers sermons.

3.Minarets: The mosque has two tall minarets on either side of the main entrance. The minarets are
decorated with geometric patterns and have balconies at different levels.
4.Decorative Elements: The mosque is decorated with intricate floral designs, calligraphy, and
geometric patterns. The arches and domes are decorated with ornamental panels and the walls are
adorned with Quranic verses.

5.Materials: The mosque is constructed of bricks and plaster, and the walls are decorated with colored
tiles. The domes are made of sandstone and are covered with lime plaster.
LUCKNO The monuments in Lucknow have been
influenced by various cultures and religions
throughout the years. Dating back to the
W 18th century, Lucknow also named "Awadh
", or "Oudh" was one of the richest semi-
independent states under the Mughal rule
and was predominantly ruled by Muslim
Shiites of Persian origin known as “Nawabs
”.Among the extant architecture there are
religious buildings such as imambaras, 
mosques and other Islamic shrines, and
secular structures like enclosed
gardens, baradaris, palace complexes.
  Use of Fish as an auspicious and
decorative motif especially on Gates
 The use of Chattar ( umbrella )
 The Baradari ( the twelve doorway pavilions)
SALIENT
 Enclosed Baghs like Sikandar Bagh
FEATURES
 Vaulted halls such as the Asafi Imambara
 The labyrinth Bhulbhulaiyan
 Taikhanas
 Use of lakhauri bricks.
 BARA
IMAMBARA
The main structure is mounted on 260
pillars that support 15 arched domes with
different elevations. The massive courtyard
measures around 75 meters X 66 meters.

The middle archway that leads to the

prayer halls is actually a replica of the Rumi
Darwaza. The archway has a wonderful
amalgamation of dual cusped arcs along
with the intertwining of intersecting arcs
that tend to create an amazing honeycomb
design at the base.
 It is a rectangular brick and mortar
structure and in plan is divided into nine
chambers.

The central chamber is the largest and

measures 164 feet by 52 feet (50 by 16
meters) and is over 49 feet (15 meters)
high.

The eight chambers surrounding the

central bay are considerably smaller in
both area and height and are more for
circulatory purpose. The long central
chamber has a concrete vault while the
remaining bays are treated in a variety of
roofing techniques.

The arched roof of the central vault is built

without beams, making it one of the
largest concrete shells in the world. The
central chamber contains the grave of
Nawab Asaf al-Daula and is the only
imambara that has six entrances into the
central bay as opposed to the
conventional five.
PLAN
RUMI DARWAZA

 The Rumi Darwaza is an imposing gateway

which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in
1784. 
  The Rumi Darwaza, which stands 60 feet
tall, was modeled after the Sublime Porte in 
Istanbul.
 Its topmost part is adorned with an
octagonal chhatri or umbrella,
which is beautifully and intricately
carved.
 In the past, the chhatri or umbrella
was approachable by the staircase,
which gave you an opportunity to
get a bird’s eye view of the place and
its surrounding areas. 
 The gate had a red stone structure
followed by layers of brick used for
ornamented arches. 
JAMA MASJID

The construction of this mosque

was started in the year 1839 A.D.
by Mohammad Ali Shah, third 
Badshah of Awadh with the
intention to surpass the 
Jama Masjid at Delhi in size, but
after his death the mosque was
completed by his wife Queen
Malika Jahan Sahiba in the year
1845 A.D.
Built with "Lakhauri" bricks and plastered with lime, it is decorated
with coloured stucco motifs. 

Standing on a square lofty terrace, it has a rectangular prayer hall,

on the west with a magnificent facade of eleven arches.

The central one is higher and provided with an unusually high

doorway which rises above the roof in a sharply pointed arch
decorated in coloured stucco.

The prayer hall is surmounted by three pear-shaped high

double domes decorated with an inverted lotus on the top and is
also flanked by two octagonal four-storeyed tapering minarets on
either side, crowned by "Chhatries" on the top.

The main structure is mounted on 260 pillars that support 15

arched domes that different elevations. The massive courtyard
measures around 75 meters X 66 meters.