Lahore has a number of historical places such as Minar-e-Pakistan famous for the event of
Pakistan Resolution on 23rd March 1947, the Lahore Fort, Shalamar Garden, Badshahi
Mosque, Masjid Wazir Khan, Lahore Museum, etc.
These places depict the history and culture of Pakistan. Badshahi Mosque also known as ‘The Royal Mosque is the third largest mosque in Pakistan. Until the construction of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad in 1986, the Badshahi mosque remained the largest mosque in the world.
Location
The mosque is located in Lahore, the capital city of the province of Punjab. It was constructed during the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and is considered one of the most significant architectural landmarks of the era which was from 1658 to 1707. The exterior decoration of the mosque depicts the Mughal architecture as it used the carved red sandstones.
In 1671, under the supervision of Muzaffar Hussain also known as Fidai Khan Koka, the
construction of the mosque started. He was the brother-in-law of Aurangzeb and was appointed
as Governor of Lahore. Its construction ended in 1673. The structure of the mosque is
influenced by the Jamia Mosque in Delhi which was constructed by Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb’s
father.
There are four minarets at each corner of the Mosque’s perimeter in the prayer hall located within the courtyard. Moreover, the prayer hall has three marble domes. The largest one is located in the middle of the hall and flanked by two smaller domes. A distance of just a few meters from the Lahore Fort. The Alamgir gate of the fort was specially added facing toward the mosque.
Destinations In Pakistan
Badshahi mosque is one of the top tourist destinations in Pakistan including the Faisal Mosque
in Islamabad, Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam in Multan, Mohatta Palace Museum in Karachi,
Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi, Attabad Lake in Gilgit-Baltistan, Shangrila Resort Skardu, etc. People
come from all over the world to visit these beautiful and historical places. People who are more
interested in history and culture visit these places to get information as well.
They first learn some basic information about the historical places and then visit those locations to visually see
the art and architecture of those places. The beautiful architecture of the Badshahi mosque includes the entryway built of red stones and decorated with carved and framed paneling. The full name of the mosque is ‘Masjid Abul Zafar Muhy-ud-Din Alamgir Badshah Ghazi’. Then, at the end of the massive entrance, the courtyard of the mosque starts.
Area
The area of the courtyard is around 276,000 square feet. On occasions like Eid, the courtyard can hold around 100,000 worshippers. The ceilings of the prayer hall are decorated with decent florals of Middle-eastern style.
In addition to the importance of the Badshahi mosque itself, the presence of the Tomb of Allama
Iqbal at the gateway of the mosque increases its significance.
Moreover, the monumental The gateway of the mosque connects it to the Hazuri Bagh which is a beautiful garden surrounded by the Lahore Fort to visit there is always a pleasure for everyone.