History of Mosque Architecture in Lahore

Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Awan; Dr. Saima Gulzar; Beenish Mujahid; Mahwish Zafar

Dr. Muhammad Yusuf Awan Dean, School of Architecture and Planning University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
Dr. Saima Gulzar Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Planning University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
Beenish Mujahid Lecturer, School of Architecture and Planning University of Management and Technology Lahore, Pakistan
Mahwish Zafar Research Scholar, Department of Architecture University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan

Keywords: Mosque, Dome, Minaret, Arches, Courtyard

Abstract

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The mosque has served as one of the most important institutions of the Muslim world at all times. This paper outlines the religious function of a mosque and explains the architectural scheme to fulfill the required function. Numerous historical mosques have been built by the Muslims in different parts of the world. These are famous on account of their attractive architecture, attention to detail and wider horizontal as well as vertical arrangements. The city of Lahore possesses a heritage of different civilizations, which include Pathan, Mughal, Sikh and British. A number of historic mosques built from the Pathan to the British period were surveyed to analyze early mosque architecture. The study of the prominent congregational mosques, before the establishment of Pakistan and the post-independence mosques shows influence from the Prophet’s (SAW) Mosque in Madina-al-Munawara. An analysis concludes that historical mosques were magnificent and a great source of inspiration for the post-independence mosque architecture. Thus, there is a need to conserve them with all their original architectural and decorative features for future generations.

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