Mosque in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan
Ali Muhammad Khan Mosque, also referred to as Wali Muhammad Mosque, or Masjid Wali Muhammad, is a historic mosque in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan, that is currently under administration of the Auqaf Department.[1]
History
Ali Muhammad Khan Mosque was erected in 1753 (1171 Hijri) in the midst of Chowk Bazaar by the then-Multan Governor, Nawab Ali Mohammad Khan Khakwani, during Mughal emperor Alamgir II's reign.[1]
In the era of Sikh governance, the Sikh governor would hold court at the mosque's main entrance, with the Guru Granth Sahib housed in the primary prayer hall.[1]
Following their ascension to power in the subcontinent, the British rulers returned the mosque to the Muslim community during the 19th century.[1] The mosque had been under the management of the Awan family's hereditary custodians for an extended period before the Auqaf Department assumed control in 1960.[1]
Architecture
Ali Muhammad Khan Mosque's complex features a small three-bay mosque at one end of a large courtyard, with a significantly larger gatehouse facing it from the opposite side.[2] Both structures are adorned in the late Mughal style with Shah-Jahani cusped arches and floral wall designs.[2] The mosque entrances have shallow muqarnas vaulting.[2] Multan's characteristic blue glazed tiles are sparingly used, primarily on the spandrels of the arches and columns dividing the bays.[2]
The mosque has a Kashigari-style interior design, a large prayer hall, a pool for performing ablutions and bathing, and two resting rooms for worshippers.[1]
References
