Wazir Khan Mosque

De **Wazir Khan Mosque** (Punjabi: وزیر خاں مسیت, romanized: *Wazīr Khã Masīt*; Persian, Urdu: مسجد وزیر خان, romanized: *Masjid Wazīr Khān*) be a 17th-century Mughal masjid wey locate insyd de city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. 

Na de mosque be commissioned by de then governor of Punjab, Wazir Khan, during de reign of de Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of an ensemble of buildings wey sanso include de nearby Shahi Hammam baths. Na construction of de Mosque begin insyd 1634, wey na dem plete am insyd 1641. E dey for de UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List top.

Dem consider e be de most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque be renowned for ein intricate faience tile work dem know as *kashi-kari*, as well as ein interior surfaces wey be almost entirely embellished plus elaborate Mughal-era frescoes. Na de mosque dey under extensive restoration since 2009 under de direction of de Aga Khan Trust for Culture den de Government of Punjab, plus contributions from de governments of Germany, Norway, den de United States.

## Location

De mosque dey locate insyd de Walled City of Lahore along de southern side of Lahore ein *Shahi Guzargah*, anaa "Royal Road," wich na be de traditional route dem traverse by Mughal nobles for dema way to royal residences for de Lahore Fort. De mosque dey situate approximately 260 meters west of de Delhi Gate, wer de masjid ein Shahi Hammam dey locate. De Masjid sanso dey face a town square dem know as Wazir Khan Chowk, den de Chitta Gate. De mosque dey host de shrine of Saint Sakhi Saif Souf.

## Background

Na de mosque be commissioned by de chief physician to de Mughal Court, Hakeem Ilam-ud-din Ansari, dem better know am by ein royal title of Wazir Khan. Na Wazir Khan later cam turn de *subahdar*, anaa Viceroy of Punjab, wey na he commission chaw monuments insyd Lahore. Na Wazir Khan own substantial amounts of property near de Delhi Gate, wey he commission de Wazir Khan mosque insyd 1634 in order make he enclose de tomb of Miran Badshah, an esteemed Sufi saint wey ein tomb now dey lie insyd de courtyard of de mosque. Prior to de construction of de Wazir Khan Mosque, na de site be occupied by an older shrine to de saint.

Na de mosque ein interior be richly embellished plus frescoes wey dey synthesize Mughal den local decorative traditions, while na dem lavishly decorate de exterior of de mosque plus intricate Persian-style *kashi-kari* tile work. Na Wazir Khan ein mosque supersede de older Maryam Zamani Mosque as de Lahore main mosque for congregational Friday prayers.

Na Wazir Khan ein mosque be part of a larger complex wey include a row of shops dem traditionally reserve for calligraphers den bookbinders, den de town square in front of de mosque ein main entrance. Na de mosque sanso rent space to oda types of merchants insyd de mosque ein northern den eastern façades, wey e run de nearby Shahi Hammam. Na revenues from dese sources be meant to serve as a *[[waqf]]*, anaa endowment, for de mosque ein maintenance.

Na main construction of de mosque begin under de reign of Shah Jahan insyd either 1634 anaa 1635, wey na dem plete am insyd approximately seven years. Insyd de late 1880s, John Lockwood Kipling, poppie of Rudyard Kipling, wrep about de mosque den ein decorative elements insyd de former *Journal of Indian Art*. De British scholar Fred Henry Andrews note insyd 1903 say na de mosque fall into disrepair.

## Architecture

Na dem build de mosque for an elevated plinth, plus de main portal wey dey open onto de Wazir Khan Chowk. De outer perimeter of de Wazir Khan Mosque dey measure  by , plus de long axis parallel to de *Shahi Guzargah*. Na dem build am bricks dem lay insyd kankar lime.

### Decorative elements
Wazir Khan mosque be renowned for ein elaborate embellishment insyd a style wich dey draw from de decorative traditions from chaw regions. While oda monuments insyd Lahore from de Shah Jahan period dey feature intricate *kashi-kari* tile work, none match de enormous scale of de Wazir Khan Mosque.

#### Structure
Bricks wey dey face de mosque ein exterior be richly embellished plus de Persian-style title work dem know as *kashi-kari*. Façades wey dey face de inner courtyard be richly embellished plus motifs den palette wich display strong influences from 17th century Persia.Persian-style colours dem use include *lajvard* (cobalt blue), *firozi* (cerulean), white, green, orange, yellow den purple, while Persian-influenced motifs include star-shaped flowers den grapevines.De mosque sanso dey contain motifs of cypress trees, wey ebe de first Mughal monument wey borrow dis motif from Persia.

Dem decorate de façade of de entry portal wey dey face Wazir Khan Chowk plus elaborate tile work den calligraphy wey dey include verses of de Quran, de sayings of de Prophet Muhammad, prayers for de Prophet, den calligraphic insignias. Above de *iwan* entrance to de main prayer hall be verses from de Quran ein *surah* Al-Baqara wey de calligraphist *Haji Yousaf Kashmiri* wrep.

#### Frescoes
Unlike de contemporary Shah Jahan Mosque insyd Sindh, dem plaster den adorn de interior walls of Wazir Khan Mosque plus highly detailed buon frescoes. De interior decorative style be unique for Mughal-era mosques, as e dey combine imperial Mughal elements plus local Punjabi decorative styles. De main prayer hall dey contain a square pavilion over wich de mosque ein largest dome rests - a Persian form dem know as *Char Taq*. De underside of de dome feature frescoes wey dey depict trees in pairs, pitchers of wine, den platters of fruit, wich be an allusion to de Islamic concept of Paradise.

#### Architectural embellishments

Dem richly decorate arched niche for de mosque ein entrance wey dey face Wazir Khan Chowk plus floral motifs, wey dey feature one of Lahore ein first examples of a muqarna - an architectural element dem find for de Alhambra insyd Spain, as well as for chaw imperial mosques insyd Iran. De low domes over de prayer hall dey reflect de style of e earlier Lodi dynasty, wich na dem rule Lahore prior to de Mughal era.

## Layout

### Entrance

Entry into Wazir Khan Mosque be thru a large Timurid-style *Iwan* over a smaller portal wich dey face de Wazir Khan Chowk. De *iwan* be flanked by two projecting balconies. Above de *iwan* be de Arabic Islamic declaration of faith dem wrep insyd intricate tilework. De panels wey dey flank de *iwan* dey contain Persian quatrains wey de calligraphist Muhammad Ali wrep, wey na he be a disciple of de Sufi saint Mian Mir. De panel for de right of de *iwan* dey read: 

While de panel to de left of de *iwan* dey read:

Entry thru de small portal wey dey lead into a octagonal chamber dem cover wich dey lie insyd de centre of de mosque ein "Calligrapher's Bazaar." De octagonal chamber dey lie insyd de centre of wat be de first example of de Central Asian *charsu bazaar* concept, anaa four-axis bazaar, wey dem introduce into South Asia. Two of de four axes be aligned as de Calligrapher ein Bazaar, while de oda two align insyd a straight line from de mosque ein entry portal, to de centre of de main prayer hall.

### Courtyard

Passage thru de portal den octagonal chamber wey dey lead into de mosque ein central courtyard. De courtyard dey measure approximately 160 feet by 130 feet, wey dey feature high arched galleries wey dey surround a central brick paved courtyard - a typical feature of imperial Persian mosques insyd Iran.

De mosque ein courtyard dey contain a pool dem use for de Islamic ritual washing, wudu wey dey measure 35 feet by 35 feet. De courtyard dey feature a subterranean crypt wich dey contain de tomb of de 14th century Sufi saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni, dem sanso know am bytde name *Miran Badshah*.

De courtyard be flanked for four sides by 32 *khanas*, anaa small study cloisters give religious scholars. De mosque ein four 107 foot tall minarets dey locate insyd each corner of de courtyard.

### Main prayer hall
De mosque ein prayer hall dey lie for de westernmost portion of de site, wey ebe approximately 130 feet long den 42 feet wide. Dem divide am into five sections dem align into a single long aisle wey dey run north to south, similar to de prayer hall for de older Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum.

De central section of de prayer hall be topped by a 31 foot tall dome plus a diameter of 23 feet wey dey rest upon four arches wey form a square pavilion - a Persian architectural form dem know as a *Char Taq*. De compartment wey remain insyd de prayer hall be topped by a 21 foot tall dome plus a diameter of 19 feet, dem build insyd a style similar to dat of de earlier Lodi dynasty. De northernmost den southernmost compartments sanso dey contain small cells wich house spiral staircases wey lead to de rooftop.

Dem sanso decorate walls of de prayer hall ein interior plus calligraphy insyd both Arabic den Persian. Dem further divide each wall, wey e dey contain unique mosaic designs. De acoustic properties of de dome allow for de imam ein sermon make dem project am across de mosque ein courtyard.

## Conservation

Dem list de mosque complex for de Protected Heritage Monuments of de Archaeology Department of Punjab. Insyd 1993 na dem add de site to UNESCO ein tentative list for World Heritage Site status. Insyd 2004, na de Government of Punjab embark for conservations den restoration efforts for de mosque. Insyd 2007, de Aga Khan Trust for Culture partner plus de Government of Punjab make e restore de monument, den insyd 2009 dem begin a two year long in-depth survey of de mosque as part of a larger effort make dem restore de Walled City of Lahore. Insyd 2015, na dem map de site insyd 3D thru a partnership between de Lahore University of Management Sciences den de United States Agency for International Development.

### Restoration
Restoration works for Wazir Khan Mosque begin insyd 2004.

Insyd 2012, na dem launch de *Pilot Urban Conservation and Infrastructure Improvement Project—the Shahi Guzargah Project* by de Government of Punjab den de Aga Khan Trust for culture wich restore a section of *Shahi Guzargah* between de mosque den Delhi Gate. Na dem plete de project insyd 2015 plus support from de governments of Norway den de United States of America.

Prior to completion of de project ein first phase, na de vicinity around de Wazir Khan mosque be encroached upon by illegally erected shops wich blocked off much of de mosque from de surrounding neighbourhood. Na tangled power lines further spoil views of de mosque, den de Wazir Khan Chowk be badly neglected wey e shrunk for size insyd secof illegally constructed shops. Na de first phase of de project remove illegally constructed shops, wey restore views of de mosque. Na dem extensively rehabilitate Wazir Khan Chowk by removal of encroachments, while na dem restore de well of *Dina Nath.* Na dem sanso place power lines along de project corridor underground, wey na dem rehabilitate de Chitta Gate for de eastern entrance to Wazir Khan Chowk.

## Gallery

File:Wazir_Khan_Mosque,_Interior_Fresco,_Lahore,_Punjab,_Pakistan.jpg|De mosque dey feature one of de earliest muqarnas insyd South Asia.
File:Internal_Elevation_-_Courtyard_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque,_Lahore.jpg|A view of de main prayer chamber
File:Lahore_052_copy.jpg|Dem decorate de mosque ein dome plus tile work.
File:Interior_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.jpg|Richly embellished muqarna
File:Domes_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.JPG|De mosque dey feature short *Lodi*-style domes.
File:Wazeer_Khan_Mosque,_Lahore.jpg|Interior surface embellishments
File:Pulpit_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque_description.jpg|De mosque ein pulpit dey date from de colonial era
File:Pulpit_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.jpg|De mosque ein pulpit
File:Wazir_Khan_Mosque_in_1895.jpg|Wazir Khan Mosque insyd 1895.
File:Masjid_Wazeer_Khan,_Lahore.jpg|De mosque ein courtyard
File:Masjid_wazir_khan_dehli_gate_lahore.jpg|A view of de mosque thru an archway
File:A_fountain_for_ablution_inside_Wazir_Khan_Mosque's_courtyard.jpg|De courtyard ablution pool dey feature a small fountain.
File:16_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.jpg|De mosque after a rainstorm
File:Masjid_Wazir_Khan_7.JPG|De entrance to de main prayer hall get two small towers.
File:Wazir_Khan_Mosque_DSC_0778.jpg|Decorative tile panels for de mosque ein exterior
File:Arabic_Calligraphy_at_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.jpg|Arabic calligraphy for glazed tile.
File:Arabic_Calligraphy_at_Wazir_Khan_Mosque2.jpg|Arabic calligraphy for glazed tile.
File:Arabic_Calligraphy3.jpg|Arabic calligraphy for glazed tile: "God is aplenty".
File:Tile_art_at_Wazir_khan_Mosque.jpg|Fresco insyd prayer chamber.
File:Wazir_khan_mosque,_tile_art1.jpg|Fresco insyd prayer chamber.
File:June21_2004-Wazir_Khan_Mosque_Lahore1.jpeg|Plaque at Wazir Khan Mosque.
File:Courtyard_of_Wazir_Khan_Mosque,_Lahore.jpg
File:Wazir_Khan_Mosque_at_night.jpg|De mosque, illuminate at night.


## References


## Read further

* Floral Decorations in Mughal Buildings

## Notes

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## External links

* Lahore Photos and History
* ''Reading Masjid Wazir Khan'', by Kamil Khan Mumtaz