Capable of accommodating 5,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and a further 95,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986 (a period of 313 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Today, it remains the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque) in Medina, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.

To appreciate its large size, the four minarets of the Badshahi Mosque are 13.9 ft (4.2 m) taller than those of the Taj Mahal and the main platform of the Taj Mahal can fit inside the 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m²) courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which is the largest mosque courtyard in the world.

In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan’s Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

Badshahi Mosque Lahore City

History

Construction (1671–1673)

Construction of the Badshahi Mosque was ordered in May 1671 by the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, who assumed the title Alamgir (meaning “Conqueror of the World”). Construction took about two years and was completed in April 1673.

The Badshahi Mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, emphasizing its stature in the Mughal Empire. It was constructed on a raised platform to avoid inundation from the nearby Ravi River during flooding. The mosque’s foundation and structure was constructed using bricks and compacted clay. The structure was then clad with red sandstone tiles brought from a stone quarry near Jaipur in Rajasthan and its domes were clad with white marble.

The construction work was carried out under the supervision of Aurangzeb’s foster brother, Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidai Khan Koka), who was appointed Governor of Lahore by Aurangzeb in May 1671 to specifically oversee the construction of the mosque and held that post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to Aurangzeb. In conjunction with the building of the Badshahi Mosque, a new gate was built at the Lahore Fort opening into the Hazuri Bagh and facing the main entrance of the Badshahi Mosque, which was named Alamgiri Gate after Aurangzeb.

Inscribed in a marble tablet on the entrance of the Badshahi Mosque are the following words in Persian:

“The Mosque of Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir, Victorious King, constructed and completed under the superintendence of the Humblest Servant of the Royal Household, Fidai Khan Koka, in 1084 A.H.”

Mosque under Mughal Rule (1673-1752)

When it was completed in 1673, the Badshahi Mosque was not only the largest mosque in the Mughal Empire, but also the largest mosque in the world – a record it would hold for 313 years until 1986. It was also one of the largest buildings in the Mughal Empire and the world. On a clear day, it could be seen from a distance of 15 km. The Badshahi Mosque elevated Lahore to greater political, economic and cultural importance in the Mughal Empire.

Mosque under Sikh Rule (1799-1849)

On 7 July 1799, the Sikh militia of the Sukerchakia chief, Ranjit Singh, took control of Lahore.^[4] After the capture of the city, the Badshahi Mosque was severely damaged when Ranjit Singh used its vast courtyard as a stable for his army’s horses and its 80 hujras (small study rooms surrounding the courtyard) as quarters for his soldiers and as magazines for military stores. Ranjit Singh used the Hazuri Bagh, the enclosed garden next to the Mosque as his official royal court of audience.

In 1841, during the Sikh civil war, Ranjit Singh’s son, Sher Singh, used the Mosque’s large minarets for placement of zamburahs or light guns, which were placed atop the minarets to bombard the supporters of the Sikh Maharani Chand Kaur taking refuge in the besieged Lahore Fort, inflicting great damage to the Fort itself. In one of these bombardments, the Fort’s Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) was destroyed (it was subsequently rebuilt by the British but never regained its original architectural splendour).  During this time, Henri De la Rouche, a French cavalry officer employed in the army of Sher Singh,used a tunnel connecting the Badshahi Mosque to the Lahore Fort to temporarily store gunpowder.

Mosque under British Rule (1858-1947)

When the British took control of India, they continued the Sikh practice of using the Mosque and the adjoining Fort as a military garrison. The 80 cells (hujras) built into the walls surrounding the Mosque’s vast courtyard on three sides were originally study rooms, which were used by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh to house troops and military stores. The British demolished them so as to prevent them from being used for anti-British activities and rebuilt them to form open arcades or dalans, which continue to this day.

Mosque’s Return to Muslims and Restoration

Sensing increasing Muslim resentment against the use of the Mosque as a military garrison, which was continuing since Sikh Rule, the British set up the Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852 to oversee the restoration and return of the Mosque to Muslims as a place of religious worship. From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs commenced from 1939 onwards. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

Mosque under Pakistan (1947-present)

Restoration work at the Mosque continued after Lahore became part of the new Muslim State of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. By 1960, the Badshahi Mosque stood restored to its original condition at a total cost of 4.8 million rupees (1939-1960).

The Government of Pakistan established a small museum inside the Main Gateway Entrance of the Mosque. It contains relics of the Prophet Muhammad, his cousin Ali, and his daughter, Fatimah.

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

In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan’s Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO.

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 commenced, using red sandstone especially imported from the original source near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Architecture & Design

The architecture and design of the Badshahi Mosque closely resembles that of the smaller Jama Mosque in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb’s father and predecessor, Emperor Shah Jahan. Its design was inspired by Islamic, Persian, Central Asian and Indian influences. Like the character of its founder, the Mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression.

The steps leading to the Main Prayer Hall and its floor are in Sang-e-Alvi (variegated marble). The Main Prayer Hall is divided into seven sections by means of multi-foil arches supported on heavy piers, three of which bear the double domes finished externally in white marble. The remaining four sections are roofed with flat domes.

The interior of Main Prayer Hall is richly embellished with stucco tracery (Manbatkari), fresco work, and inlaid marble.

The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of lotiform motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian andIndian 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. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (dalans), the four corner minarets (minars), the projecting central transeptof the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.

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 Aiwan plan like the earlier Jama Mosque in Delhi, could not be replicated at the Badshahi Mosque.

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 main prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. Out of the 7 compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above. In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (qalamdani) with a curved border (ghalatan) at thecornice level.

The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern. The present red sandstone flooring was laid during the last major refurbishhment (1939-60). Similarly, the original floor of the main prayer chamber was in cut and dressed bricks with marble and Sang-i-Abri lining forming Mussalah and was also replaced by marble Mussalah during the last major repairs.

There are only two inscriptions in the Mosque:

• one on the main gateway entrance
• the other of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault.

All institutions will be sprayed with the dengue insecticide, which will be completed in 10 days. And a report from Peshawar says that dengue fever claimed one more life in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), raising the death toll in the province to three.

The provincial health department states that the individual who lost his life after contracting the Dengue virus was a resident of Manshera. Prior to this an individual from Haripur and one from Nowshera fell victim to the virus.

According to the health department, over 100 patients suspected of having Dengue are admitted in hospitals across KPK while there have been 29 confirmed cases.

SOURCE: CDC

The collection includes a variety of shapes, the forgiving drape is flattering to curvy shapes and adds curves for ladies who need them. Inspired by a woman’s femininity, Mahfouz has created a glamorous and modern vintage look that celebrate the female form, accenting structured silhouettes through draping, highlighting a woman’s elegant shoulders and slim waist.

Nesma Mahgoub is the winner of Star Academy Arab World in it’s 8th season. She was the not only the first Egyptian girl to reach the finals, but also the second girl to win a season after Shada Hassoun, the second Egyptian to win a season after Mohamed Atieh, not to mention also that there was another Egyptian contestant, Ahmed Ezat, who was 2nd place.

* 100,000 computers and a project of ‘yellow motorcycle’ would be prepared for youth, CM says

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, on Monday, said that a programme of providing jobs to youth has been evolved at a cost of Rs 12 billion and Yellow Cab Scheme is a part of it and transparent system of computerised balloting has been adopted for eliminating parchi and sifarish from it.

He was addressing a ceremony on the occasion of computerised balloting of Yellow Cab Scheme in Multan Arts Council on Monday. According to a handout, the chief minister inaugurated the computerised balloting of Yellow Cab Scheme.

He said that corruption is rampant in the country and it is in the grip of price hike, lawlessness, injustice and unemployment. He said that 18 crore people of Pakistan are being pushed into darkness under a conspiracy and a dishonest person holding the highest office of the country wants to destroy it. He said that he has come to the conclusion that assemblies have no solution for it, and people can change this system by launching a movement in streets. The chief minister said that on the return of PML leader Nawaz Sharif after Umrah, decision to change the system will be taken.

He also announced medical university, engineering university, hockey and football stadiums and construction of Hafiz Jamal Road and Multan Dehli Road in Multan. He said that 100,000 computers would be given to the youth and a project of “yellow motorcycle” would be prepared.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the files of both projects of 900 megawatts in Nandipur and Chichuki Malian were put in the cold storage by the Law Ministry intentionally due to non-receipt of commission and hindrances were created in these projects under a conspiracy due to which the country has to face loss of billions of rupees and the people have been pushed into darkness.

The chief minister said that 70 billion rupees were spent on the projects of Nandipur and Chichoki Millian but these files were kept pending on the orders of President Zardari. Shahbaz said it is his belief that the anti-state elements will be eliminated. He said that industries have closed due to non-availability of electricity, unemployment has increased, green fields have been destroyed, exports have stopped and the people have been facing load shedding even during prayers and Taraveeh in the holy month of Ramazan.

He said that the rulers are not worried about the people and they are busy in filling their pockets and conducting foreign tours. He said billions of rupees were plundered in NICL whereas Supreme Court is being disgraced and its decisions are being disregarded.

Chief Minister’ senior adviser Sirdar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa, Javed Hashmi, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Provincial Minister Auqaf Ahsanud Din Qurashi, Rana Mehmood ul Hassan, PML-N MNA, district president Multan Memoona Hashmi and members of national and provincial assembly were also present on the occasion.

Pakistani Shoes

shoes is getting stronger. Pakistani designers are equally appreciated by the people as international designers are. Footwear undoubtedly is one of the most essential parts of one’s apparel. Today, footwear industry in Pakistan is crowded with a large range of Pakistani and foreign designers. These, by contributing their individual flavor to it have created a market which offers a large variety of designs, styles and trends.

In the industry of designer shoes, hot topic these days is Nadia Hussain’s shoe collection “Fetish” which has stirred people quite a bit. According to Nadia Hussain, “big chunky stones and diamantes are used in the collection and 70 per cent of the line comprises flats.” It would be interesting to see how far these designer shoes will be able to thrill the public in such a time whenPakistani designer shoes are drifting away from the flats.

Flats have been ruling the market since long but this is the time to rise a bit with kitten heels, peep toes and wedges. This summer the new range of Pakistani designer shoes such as ECS, SOUL and STYLO are offering wedges and peep toes along with a considerable range of ballet flats, pumps, gladiator sandals and ankle strap shoes. Though Designer brands like Outfitters; CrossRoads offer more funky and comfortable flat shoes. There is a small variety of peep toes as well.

Marie Claire is often known for stilettos and peep toes but this summer you will be seeing a large range of kitten heels and wedges on the outlet. Designer shoes are mostly more concerned about merging up style with comfort. Particularly, Pakistani designer shoes, as they can identify with the frame of mind of general public more closely that is why they offer a mixture of fancy and funky designer shoes for casual wear. Stilettos, peep toes, block heals have always been considered formal foot wear. Wedges, with floral motifs, polka dots and with all the cool colors of summer breaks the rule of flats and pumps. Kitten heels are becoming more famous in women of slightly older age as it not only retains their dignity and sophistication but also adds style and make them look trendy. This summer, shed off your typical choice in designer shoes and experience a large variety of colorful motifs and different styles in designer shoes.