The Badshahi Mosque, Imperial Mosque, in Lahore, was commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673. It is the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction. It is located in Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan.
The mosque and its vast courtyard are raised upon a platform which is approached from the east by a handsome flight of 22 steps an upstanding gateway of traditional Moghal type. The entrance which is a double storey edifice is elaborately decorated with framed and carved panelling on all its facades. At the four corners there are square minarets surmounted by pseudo-pavilions of red sandstone with white marble cupolas. At the four corners of the courtyard are the tall octogonal minars (towers). Four smaller minarets, also octogonal, are attached to the corners of the prayer chamber. Above them rise three grand bulbous marble domes.
The red sandstone of the building is decorated externally with unobtrusive lines and patterns in white marble inlay. The embellishment of the prayer chamber in the interior and exterior with Zanjira interlacing and flowers with their spidery tendrils, and treated in bold relief, is a unique work of unsurpassed beauty and workmanship in Moghal architecture. The inscription on the gateway indicates that it was built in A.H. 1084 (1673-74 A.D.)
The travelers will be amazed to see the seven chambered prayer room at the Badshahi Masjid. The stairs which lead to the prayer rooms are made of designer marble. The entire flooring of the Badshahi Masjid is done with red sandstone thus enhancing its beauty all the more. The Badshahi Masjid has two inscriptions. The first one is on the entrance gate and the second one is in the prayer room beneath the chief high vault.
Do not forget to visit the museum which is recently built at the complex of Badshahi Masjid. You will get to know a lot about the Islamic rulers of the region at the museum. If possible, visit the Badshahi Masjid at night. The well-lit mosque looks like a jewel encrusted on the city of Lahore.
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