LAHORE – The historical city of Lahore is enriched with many beautiful and magnificent monuments and heritage. One of the main icons of Lahore is the imperial mosque of Mughal’s period known as the ‘Badshahi Mosque’.
Even in this century, the beauty of the holy mosque speaks for itself; Lahore preserves rich and magnificent architectural heritage of Mughal era that not only attracts locals but foreign tourists also.
The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb’s foster brother Muzaffar Hussain who was appointed a governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.
The construction of the mosque took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. 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.
The mosque is located adjacent to the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan. The entrance to the mosque lies on the western side of the rectangular Hazuri Bagh and faces towards the famous Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort, which is located on the eastern side of the Hazuri Bagh. The mosque is also located next to the Roshnai Gate, one of the original thirteen gates of Lahore, which is located on the southern side of the Hazuri Bagh.
Near the entrance of the mosque lies the Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal, a poet widely revered in the sub-continent as the founder of the Pakistan Movement which led to the creation of a homeland for the Muslims of British India. 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.
The mosque has a capacity to house 56,000 worshippers. Before the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Mosque in Medina underwent expansion, the Badshahi Mosque had the honour of being the largest mosque in the world for 313 years. The mosque is a jewel for the city and it is a pride for Lahoris. The mosque courtyard gets filled with thousands of Muslims every Eid and during Jumma prayers.
At night the mosque glows with the lighting and one can simply not miss watching and falling in love with the majestic prayer place and its beauty!
