Begumpur Mosque
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The Begumpur Mosque or Begumpur Masjid, also known as the Jam'i Masjid of Jahanpanah, is a former
Friday mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.See: * * * * ...
, now in partial ruins, located in an urban village called Begumpur, which now bears its modern name,
Jahanpanah Jahanpanah was the fourth medieval city of Delhi established in 1326–1327 by Delhi Sultan, Muhammad bin Tughlaq. To counter the persistent threat of Mongol invasions, Tughlaq constructed the fortified city of Jahanpanah (meaning "Refug ...
. The former mosque was built in the centre of the sultanate capital of the
Tughluq dynasty The Tughlaq dynasty (also known as the Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty; ) was the third dynasty to rule over the Delhi Sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyath a ...
, in CE. The former mosque is large, measuring . The former mosque is a
Monument of National Importance A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
, administered by the
Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
in order to restore the monument.


History

Jahanpanah means "the centre of the world," and the village was built by the order of
Muhammad bin Tughluq Muhammad bin Tughluq (; ; 1290 – 20 March 1351), or Muhammad II, also named Jauna Khan as Crown Prince, further known by his epithets, The Eccentric Prince, or The Mad Sultan, was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from 4 February 1 ...
in 1327 CE. The founding of this city aimed to protect the sultanate against any external invasion. The city had thirteen gates and numerous monuments that were credited to the Tughluq dynasty. Knowledge of the history of the Begumpur Mosque is somewhat limited as the identity of its patrons is unclear; with two theories in place. The first theory suggests that it was built during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq in 1343 CE, by or under the guidance of the Iranian architect Zahiruddin alJuyush, also credited with the construction of the
Khurramabad Khorramabad (; ) is a city in the Central District of Khorramabad County, Lorestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Situated in a scenic valley surrounded by mountains, the city lies approxim ...
Palace. The second theory suggests that it was built by Khan-i Jahan Junan Shah, vizier of
Firuz Shah Tughluq Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309 – 20 September 1388), also known as Firuz III, was Sultan of Delhi from 1351 until his death in 1388. He succeeded his cousin Muhammad bin Tughlaq following the latter's death at Thatta, Sindh. His father was Si ...
, as one of the seven mosques built under his patronage.


Use

After serving as a mosque for several decades, the structure was used as a village in the early twentieth century before the restoration and cleaning. In 1902, Herbert Charles Fanshawe wrote: The site currently is under the supervision of the
Archeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
. Presently, the site does not serve any religious purposes.


Architecture

The dimensions of the mosque are . The courtyard plan of the mosque is influenced by the
Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of ...
type. The mosque contains four '' riwaqs'' (portico) and an enormous ''
sahn A ''sahn'' (, '), is a courtyard in Islamic architecture, especially the formal courtyard of a mosque. Most traditional mosques have a large central ''sahn'', which is surrounded by a ''Riwaq (arcade), riwaq'' or arcade (architecture), arcade on ...
'' (courtyard) measuring . A deeper prayer hall, facing
Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
, is located to the west and is the largest ''riwaq''. The mosque is entered from only the eastern side through a magnificent gate. On the northern
façade A façade or facade (; ) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loanword from the French language, French (), which means "frontage" or "face". In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important asp ...
of the Begumpur Masjid, stands a square structure known as ''muluk khana'' (The Royal
Loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
), which functions as a private entrance and a prayer hall for the royals.


Exterior

The Begumpur Mosque has an enormous domed entrance structure that stands tall above the street level, accessed by three-sided vertical steps. Unlike the Khirki or Kotla mosques, the ground floor is not used for the excavated niches. The mosque's walls represent the Tughluq slope walls, consisting of
rubble masonry Rubble masonry or rubble stone is rough, uneven building stone not laid in regular courses. It may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or ashlar. Some medieval cathedral walls have outer shells of ashlar wi ...
, which has been covered with a layer of thick
stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
. The walls were originally decorated with blue-glazed tiles that are still present in some places.


Interior

The four-''
iwan An iwan (, , also as ''ivan'' or ''ivān''/''īvān'', , ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...
'' plan was introduced for the first time in
Indo-Islamic architecture Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establi ...
. There is an ''iwan'' and a dome in the middle of each ''
riwaq Riwaq may refer to: *Riwaq (arcade) or rivaq, an arcade in Islamic architecture *Riwaq (organization) Riwaq () or Centre for Architectural Conservation is a center for the preservation of architectural heritage of rural Palestine. The organizatio ...
.'' The arches on each ''riwaq'' are approximately high, and wide, There are about 45 rooms distributed in all the four sides of the mosque. The main hall is covered by a large dome while smaller domes are constructed over the bays of the colonnades. There are two tapering turrets on both sides of the starts of the ''iwan'', which is a unique feature of the Tughluq architectural style. This structure, referred to as a "pylon" is very large enough to hide the large domes that cover the prayer hall.


Material and decoration

The materials in the Begumpur Mosque are mainly rubble masonry covered with mortar, which was molded to fit its architectural forms.
Red sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed o ...
was also used for the decorative carved motifs and for the ''
jali A ''jali'' or ''jaali'' (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectu ...
s'' of the ''muluk khana'' and it was also used in the "royal"
mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...
. The mosque had a lot of decorative carved stucco, much of it has now disappeared or been restored. The building in its current condition lost a lot of its original ornamentations. It still has remains of blooming lotuses relief-carved in red sandstone. Most of the sixty-four domes of the mosque feature this lotus motif. Regrettably, many of these domes either collapsed or were covered with white plaster.


Mihrabs

The main
mihrab ''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall". ...
showcases a two-color palette reminiscent of the 'Ala'i Darwaza. The materials used in the mihrab are
red sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed o ...
and white
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
, which are very common material compositions of the Indo-Islamic style. The mihrab inside the
Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (), or Ghazi Malik (; died 1 February 1325) was the Sultan of Delhi from 1320 to 1325. He was the first sultan of the Tughluq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. During his reign, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq founded the city of ...
tomb at Tughluqabad has also common features; aesthetics, proportions and the use of red sandstone and white marble.


Epigraphy

A few inscriptions remain within the monument. Invocations to
Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
can be found at the entrance and the ''muluk khana''. Within the ''muluk khana'', there are three epigraphic medallions above the central mihrab. Their inscriptions are in classical ''
thuluth ''Thuluth'' (, ' or , '; , ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In ''Thuluth'', ...
'', featuring Quranic quotations from Surah 3 ( 'Al ‘Imran).


Influences

The Begumpur Mosque has a number of similar features to Quwwat al-Islam Complex. Both have their monumental external approaches, narrow ''riwaqs'' and their cupolas marking the four directions, thus privileging the cruciform plan. Both monuments share a certain "community of vision." The bishtak of the Begumpur Mosque exhibits a clear influence from the Timurid style of
Bibi-Khanym Mosque The Bibi-Khanym Mosque (; ; also variously spelled as Khanum, Khanom, Hanum, Hanim) is one of the most important monuments of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In the 15th century, it was one of the largest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world. ...
. They are almost identical in their main feature; sloping towers and the
OGEE An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape (Sigmoid curve, sigmoid). Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combination of two semicircle, semicircula ...
arches, however, the Bibi Khanym is richer in decoration. File:SamarkandBibiKhanym.jpg, Bishtak of Bibi Khanym Mosque File:Begumpuri Masjid Central pishtaq.jpg, Bishtak of Begumpur Mosque


Closure

The continuous expansion and the increasing population, have resulted in a situation of overcrowding within the region. It is worth noting that the Begumpur Mosque is being protected under the Archeological Survey of India and as mentioned above, presently, the site does not function as a mosque. There are currently no plans in place for the restoration to safeguard its historical significance. At present, the monument is not in a good state, with many fallen domes and broken roofs.


Gallery

Begumpuri Mosque Front Gate.jpg, Entrance to the mosque Begumpur mosque.jpg, View of the Bishtak from the courtyard Overview of Courtyard Begumpur masjid.jpg, Overview of the courtyard Begumpuri mosque 6.jpg, View of the courtyard South wall of Begumpur Masjid.JPG, South wall of the mosque Begumpur Mosque loyal pigeons.jpg, View of one of the domes Begumpuri Masjid East gate detail (3010304346).jpg, Eastern ''
Iwan An iwan (, , also as ''ivan'' or ''ivān''/''īvān'', , ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...
'' details Begumpuri Masjid from afar (3010274298).jpg, The mosque with its surroundings Begumpuri Masjid Mosque corner and village (3363442256).jpg, The mosque with its surroundings Begumpur Mosque Bharat Tiwari 1.jpg, View of the arcades


See also

*
Islam in India Islam is India's Religion in India, second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, or approximately 172.2 million people, identifying as adherents of Islam in a 2011 census. India also has the Islam by country, third-larg ...
*
List of mosques in India This is a list of notable mosques in India, organised by state or union territory. , India had more than active mosques and had the third largest Muslim population in the world. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andhra Pradesh Assam B ...
*
List of Monuments of National Importance in Delhi This is a list of Monuments of National Importance (ASI) as officially recognized by and available through the website of the Archaeological Survey of India in the Indian union territory Delhi. The monument identifier is a combination of the abb ...


Notes


References


External links

{{Delhi 14th-century mosques in India Archaeological sites in Delhi Architecture of the Tughlaq dynasty Buildings and structures completed in 1343 Indo-Islamic mosques Monuments of National Importance in Delhi Mosque buildings with domes in India Mosques completed in the 1340s Mosques in Delhi Mosque ruins in India Timurid architecture South Delhi district