History Badshahi Mosque Lahore - Pakistan

The Badshahi Mosque is located in the heart of Lahore city, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673. Today, Badshahi Mosque is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, South Asia and fifth largest mosque in the world. Some of other Mosques are bigger then Badshahi Mosque Like Masjid al-Haram of Mecca, Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Hassan Mosque in Casablanca and Faisal Mosque in Islamabad - Pakistan. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore's most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.
To appreciate its large size, the four minarets of the Badshahi Mosque are 13.9 ft (4.2 m) taller than those of the Taj Mahal and the main platform of the Taj Mahal can fit inside the 278,784 sq ft (25,899.9 m2) courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which is the largest mosque courtyard in the world.

In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a World Heritage Site in UNESCO's World Heritage List, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List by UNESCO

Outside the Badshahi Mosque, near its steps lies the tomb of the poet / philosopher Dr. Allama Muhammad lqbal. The mausoleum is a mixture of Moorish and Afghan styles of architecture and is constructed entirely of red sandstone, which was brought from Rajasthan. The tomb near the entrance of the mosque was constructed as a mark of respect and pay homage to this great man who gave the very concept of a separate Muslim state for the Muslims of the British India.

The prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers. In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat with a curved border at the cornice level. The floor of the vast court was originally paved in brick laid in Prayer carpet, Musallah, shaped and bordered with black stone. The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (manbatkari) and paneling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay. The Badshahi Mosque was badly damaged and was misused in Sikh Rule. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the Mosque was used as a stable for the army’s horses.

Restoration work at the Mosque continued after Lahore became part of the new Muslim State of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. By 1960, the Badshahi Mosque stood restored to its original condition at a total cost of 5.8 million rupees (1939–1960).
The Government of Pakistan established a small museum inside the Main Gateway Entrance of the Mosque. It contains relics of the Prophet Muhammad, his cousin Ali, and his daughter, Fatimah, donated by the Fakir family of Lahore who occupied high posts during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's rule.
On the occasion of the 2nd Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Mosque, including, among others, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait.
Badshahi Mosque under Pakistan Govt.
The prayers were led by Mawlana Abdul Qadir Azad, the then Khatib of the Mosque.
In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List.
In 2000, the marble inlay in the Main Prayer Hall was repaired. In 2008, replacement work on the red sandstone tiles on the Mosque's large courtyard commenced, using red sandstone especially imported from the original source near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India