10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About The Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque is the largest and most famous mosque in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. It is also known as theRoyal Mosque or the Friday Mosque of Lahore. The mosque was commissioned by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 CE and was completed around five years later. Since then, it has become one of the most recognizable landmarks in Lahore. The Badshahi Mosque can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers at a time. It has a double-storeyed gateway that leads to an expansive courtyard with several smaller sub-buildings on its northern side. Inside the main structure are three octagonal towers that are reminiscent of those found in Taj Mahal. These towers have spiral staircases that lead to their apexes where there are small chambers for solitary contemplation. The entire construction was made from red sandstone and white marble with beautiful calligraphy adorning almost every surface inside the complex..

10 facts about the Badshahi Mosque

The mosque was built by convict labour

The Badshahi Mosque was built using the labour of 30,000 Indian prisoners who were convicted for various crimes. This included people who were convicted of murder, theft and other serious crimes. The use of convict labour is believed to have been a common practice during Mughal rule. The prisoners were given a choice between serving a jail sentence or being a part of the workforce that would help to construct some project.

It has a huge tank in its basement

The Badshahi Mosque has a large underground tank that was initially used to store water for the mosque’s daily use. This tank is believed to be the second-largest of its kind in the world. It can be accessed through a staircase that’s adjacent to the mosque’s northern wall.

It’s built on top of a former Hindu temple

The current structure of the Badshahi Mosque is built on top of a former Hindu temple. The temple was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. The temple was also being used as a cremation ground for Hindus during that time. For this reason, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered its destruction. The original temple was built using wood, so the mosque’s pillars are all that remains from it.

Aurangzeb had the temple destroyed because it was also a Hindu cremation ground

The Badshahi Mosque was initially built as a smaller structure back in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. This structure was made of wood and was meant to be used as a resting place for travellers. In 1671, Aurangzeb ordered the construction of a new mosque on the same site. The reason for this was that the old mosque was built near a Hindu cremation ground and he wanted to have it removed. The new mosque that was constructed was a much larger structure that was built from red sandstone and white marble.

The mosque is guarded by elite regiments of the Pakistan Army

The Badshahi Mosque is surrounded by the 2nd Regiment of the Pakistan Army that’s stationed there permanently to provide security to the mosque. The regiment is known as the Guards Cavalry and consists of soldiers who are specially trained to protect important national monuments. The regiment was first stationed in the Badshahi Mosque back in 1906 when the mosque was attacked by a group of Hindus during a religious festival.

Women are not allowed inside the mosque during prayers

As the Badshahi Mosque is a sacred site in the Islamic religion, only men are allowed to pray there. Women are allowed to enter the mosque but they are not permitted to pray there. They are only allowed to visit the mosque to see its architecture and artwork.

More than 2,000 people can pray there at once

The Badshahi Mosque can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque’s courtyard has several sub-buildings including a mosque, a mosque hall, and a central pavilion. The mosque itself can house up to 5,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque hall is a rectangular structure that can hold up to 10,000 worshippers. There’s also a central pavilion that can accommodate about 2,000 people.

Every Friday, thousands of worshippers attend Jummah prayers at the mosque

The Badshahi Mosque is one of the holiest sites in the Islamic religion and is visited by thousands of people every week. The most popular day to visit the mosque is on Friday, when people gather there to attend Jummah prayers.

Conclusion

The Badshahi Mosque is the largest mosque in Lahore and has become one of the most famous sites in Pakistan. It is also one of the most important Islamic shrines in South Asia and is visited by thousands of people every week.

If you love mosques and would like to learn more about them, then these 10 facts about the Badshahi Mosque will be interesting for you. You can also visit this historic landmark if you are ever in Lahore.