The Badshahi Mosque (Punjabi: بادشاہی مسیت, romanized: Bādśā’ī Masīt; Urdu: بادشاہی مسجد, romanized: Bādśāhī Masjid) is a Mughal-era imperial mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed between 1671 and 1673 during the rule of Aurangzeb, opposite of the Lahore Fort on the northern outskirts of the historic Walled City. It is widely considered to be one of the most iconic landmarks of the Punjab.
The Badshahi Mosque was built between 1671 and 1673 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The mosque is an important example of Mughal architecture, with an exterior that is decorated with carved red sandstone with marble inlay. It remains the largest mosque of the Mughal-era, and is the third-largest mosque in Pakistan. In 1799, during the rule of Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire, the mosque’s courtyard was used as a stable and its hujras (cells) as soldiers quarters. When the British Empire took control of Lahore in 1846 it was used as a garrison until 1852. Subsequently, the Badshahi Mosque Authority was established to oversee its restoration as a place of worship. It is now one of Pakistan’s most iconic sights.
History
The sixth Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, chose Lahore as the site for his new mosque. Aurangzeb, unlike the previous emperors, was not a major patron of art and architecture and instead focused, during much of his reign, on various military conquests which added to the Mughal realm.] The mosque was built to commemorate Aurangzeb’s military campaigns in southern India, in particular against the Maratha Emperor Shivaji. As a symbol of the mosque’s importance, it was built directly across from the Lahore Fort and its Alamgiri Gate, which was concurrently built by Aurangzeb during construction of the mosque
The mosque was commissioned in 1671, with construction overseen by the Emperor’s foster brother, and Governor of Lahore, Muzaffar Hussein – also known by the name Fidai Khan Koka. After only two years of construction, the mosque was opened in 1673.