Wazir Khan Mosque

The Wazir Khan Mosque is a 17th-century mosque in Lahore, Pakistan's capital and the provincial capital of Punjab. The mosque was built during the time of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as part of a larger complex that included the adjoining Shahi Hammam facilities. The Wazir Khan Mosque's construction began in 1634 C.E. and was completed in 1641. It is on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

Wazir Khan Mosque, often regarded as the most ornately adorned Mughal-era mosque, is famed for its exquisite faience tile work known as kashi-kari, as well as its interior surfaces, which are almost totally ornamented with beautiful Mughal-era murals. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Government of Punjab have been overseeing the substantial restoration of the mosque since 2009, with funding from the governments of Germany, Norway, and the United States.

The mosque was commissioned by the Mughal Court's head physician, Hakeem Ilam-ud-din Ansari, also known as Wazir Khan. The site had previously been inhabited by an ancient shrine to the saint prior to the erection of the Wazir Khan Mosque. Wazir Khan's mosque took the place of the ancient Maryam Zamani Mosque as the major mosque in Lahore for congregational Friday prayers.

The mosque was part of a larger complex that comprised a row of shops normally dedicated to calligraphers and bookbinders, as well as the town square in front of the mosque's main entrance. The mosque also rented out space on the mosque's northern and eastern façades to different types of merchants and operated the adjoining Shahi Hammam. The proceeds from these sources were to be used as a waqf, or endowment, for the mosque's upkeep.

The mosque was built between 1634 and 1635 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and took about seven years to finish. Wazir Khan Mosque is well-known for its complex and vast ornamentation. The mosque is erected on an elevated plinth, with the main entrance facing Wazir Khan Chowk. The Wazir Khan Mosque's outside circumference spans 279 feet (85 meters) by 159 feet (48 meters), with the long axis parallel to the Shahi Guzargah. It was constructed with kankar lime bricks.

Location: Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan