When visiting Pakistan, you will easily find stunning mosques in that country. This cannot be separated from Pakistani society, where the majority of the population is Muslim.
However, among the thousands of mosques in Pakistan there are some that are most popular with tourists. Most of them are located in major cities in Pakistan from Lahore, Peshawar and others. Here are five of the grandest mosque buildings that must be visited in Pakistan.
1. Faisal Mosque
Faisal Mosque (commons.wikimedia.org/Rao Umair Khan)
Faisal Mosque is located in the capital city of Islamabad, which is located at the foot of the Margalla hills. Reported by the Wanderlust page , the building was designed by a leading architect from Turkey, namely Vedat Dalokay.
This mosque has an architectural style that looks very modern. Meanwhile, the design is inspired by the shape of the Bedouin tent and does not have a dome. There are four towers as high as 88 meters which add to the splendor of the Faisal Mosque.
During the celebration of major Muslim holidays, the Faisal Mosque can accommodate as many as 100,000 worshipers.
2. Wazir Khan Mosque
(commons.wikimedia.org/Muhammad Umair Mirza)
Wazir Khan Mosque is included in the list of the most beautiful mosques in Pakistan. This is because the walls of the mosque are covered with thousands of mosaic tiles from the Mughal period. In addition, there are many calligraphic writings of Al-Quran verses on the outside and inside of the mosque which look amazing.
The mosque was founded in 1634 during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Janan. The uniqueness of the Wazir Khan Mosque lies in its onion-shaped dome. Even though it is hundreds of years old, the building of the Wazir Khan Mosque looks very well maintained.
3. Badshahi Mosque
Badshahi Mosque (commons.wikimedia.org/Ali Imran)
The popularity of the Badshahi Mosque has made it frequented by world-famous figures, one of which is Prince William and Kate in 2019. Before the Faisal Mosque was built, the Badshahi Mosque held the title of the largest mosque in Pakistan for more than 300 years.
Badshahi Mosque has a very wide mosque courtyard which is 26,000 square meters. The attractiveness of the Badshahi Mosque lies in its dome which is covered in white marble and the motif paintings on the walls which look very complicated so that many tourists are amazed.
4. Mahabat Khan Mosque
Mahabat Khan Mosque (commons.wikimedia.org/US Embassy Pakistan)
On vacation to the Peshawar area, don’t forget to visit the Mahabat Khan Mosque. Reported by the Realtorspk page , this mosque was built in the 17th century and was named after the ruler of Peshawar at that time, Nawab Mahabat Khan. Visitors can see many rooms in the mosque.
The interior of the Mahabat Khan Mosque looks amazing, filled with decorations and paintings of beautiful motifs on the walls with a combination of striking colors. Apart from that, this mosque has three domes and two minarets. Meanwhile, in the middle of the Mahabat Khan Mosque courtyard, there is a water pool.
5. Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore
Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore (commons.wikimedia.org/Meemjee)
The Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore is the third largest mosque in Pakistan and the seventh largest in the world. This mosque can accommodate as many as 70,000 worshipers during Eid prayers. The interior of the mosque is covered with as many as 4 million tiles originating from the Multan area.
Visitors can also find a variety of beautiful carpets and chandeliers. Most of the decorations in the mosque come from Turkey and Iran. Interestingly, the Grand Jamia Mosque Lahore has a museum which holds objects related to Islam including several rare books of the Koran.
So, those are the five most famous mosque buildings in Pakistan. With a population that is mostly Muslim, it is not surprising that Pakistan has many magnificent mosques.
Source : IDN Times
