Masjid Wazir Khan

architectures
Originally uploaded by maxloxton.

My first visit to Masjid Wazir, an architectural wonder of Muslim times in Lahore near Dehli Gate grabbed my attention due to its beautiful architecture.
I spot this beautiful, calm and historical place and decided to spend sometime looking at the architecture and the way Mughals worked over it. This particular image was shot by Sony Cybershoot.
After the advent of Islam in sixth century AD a new style of construction came into being which was later known as Islamic Architecture. It has its won significance and a powerful influence all over the world. In Asia we see many such buildings in Indo-Pak, Iran, Turkey, China, Arabian countries and Central Asian States.
In our region the Mughal period can be said as the golden era which apart from other important events, the art of construction and architecture reached its climax especially in the regime of Shah Jehan.
There are several forts, castles, palaces, gardens, tombs and mosques, which portray this art. In this context, Taj Mahal at Agra is an example of no match, mosques are also one of the most interesting buildings in Islamic World. Among several famous mosques like, Badshahi Masjid, Moti Masjid, Sunehri Masjid at Lahore, Shahi Masjid at Chiniot, Masjid Mohabat Khan at Peshawar Shahi Masjid at Delhi. Masjid Wazir Khan at Lahore is one such glorious buildings of the Mughal Era, constructed by Ilam-ud-Deen Ansari, the Governor of Punjab under Shah Jehan, the successor of Jahangir.
The Construction of this mosque started in 1934 and took 7 years for completion. The glorious mosque is made of bricks and faced with gaily-coloured glazed mosaic tiles. It is justifiably famous for the colourful fresco and tile decorations, which adorn both interior and exterior of the building. The use of inlaid pottery decoration in the wall panelling is remarkable. Watching closely, it reveals that each section is a separate piece of tile and the work in strictly inlay and not painted; small bricks laid in Kankar time with a sprinkling of red sandstone. The grills of the mosque are in terra cotta.
The mosque is not a huge as the Shahi Mosque of Lahore. The total area of the mosque is 279.5' x 159', while the hall is 131.3' x 42'. On the corners of the building three are elegantly erected octagonal minarets measuring 107' in height. These minarets are decorated with mosaic tiles and are an outstanding features of art. On request one may get the permission to climb 69 steps of a minaret to the place of muezzin. The gallery offers a superb panorama of the old city.
This living legacy is an intricate masterpiece of work, which portrays great devotion and sincerity of its builders and designers. To keep this heritage in its pristine beauty is the need of time.