The Chaqchan Mosque () is a

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

Noorbakshia

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

, located in the city of Khaplu, in the

Gilgit-Baltistan Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative units of Pakistan, administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has b ...

region of northern

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Dating from 1370, the mosque is one of the oldest in the region, and during the time when the area's populace converted ''en masse'' from

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The mosque shares similar architecture as those built in the

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

Valley. It features a blend of Tibetan, Mughal and Persian styles of architecture.

History

According to some sources the mosque was built by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani while other say on the arrival of Sufi saint Syed Nurbakhsh from Kashmir to

Baltistan Baltistan (); also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet, is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and constitutes a northern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

, the local ruling ''Raja'' converted to Islam and commissioned the building of the mosque in 1370 CE. However, the dating of the latter theory contradicts historical sources which suggests that the mosque was probably constructed more than two decades before the birth of Syed Nurbakhsh.

Conservation

The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

has listed the Chaqchan Mosque as a Pakistan Heritage Site. The mosque is now currently in use after extensive conservation works.

Architecture

Architecturally, the mosque displays a blend of Tibetan, Mughal and Persian styles, and consists of a two-story cubic complex: Semi-basement, ground floor with a turret atop. The perimetral walls of the cubic structure are composed of wooden slabs stacked to form a frame with its void spaces daubed with clay or mud that is in fact this technology is similar to the Roman '' opus craticum technique.'' This method of construction is one of the oldest known for making a weatherproof structures and it is also suitable for harsh winter conditions.Ghanche is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan
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Gallery

Interior of Chaqchan Mosque.jpg, The mosque's interior with extensive woodwork The view of valley from Chaqchan Mosque corridor.jpg, View over the valley from the mosque Chaqchin Masjid Arches.jpg, ''Chaqchan'' Mosque's Arches Interior of Chaqchan Mosque in Evening.jpg Chaqchan Mosque from the street.jpg, The mosque's exterior Chaqchan mosque.jpg, ''Chaqchan Mosque'' around 1st decade of 19 century Mihrab Chaqchan Mosque, Khaplu.jpg, The mosque's decorated ''

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". ...

'' Chaqchan Mosque 20170405 115329.jpg, Portion of the decorated ceiling Chaqchan Mosque 20170405 115258.jpg, Almost all surfaces of the mosque's interior, including its ceiling, are decorated Chaqchan Mosque 20170405 115217.jpg, Interior decorations make use of vibrant colours

References

External links