The Ahmad Shah's Mosque, also known as Shahi Jam-e-Masjid or Juni Juma Masjid, completed in 1414, is the oldest mosque of

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

, in the state of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The structure 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 ...

History and architecture

The mosque was erected by the founder of Ahmedabad,

Ahmad Shah I Ahmad Shah I, born Ahmad Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarids (Gujarat), Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate from 1411 until his death in 1442. He was the grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I, Muzaffar Shah, founder of th ...

, in 1414. It said to have been used as the royal household's private mosque. According to the inscription at the upper part of the central

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 foundation date seems to be the 4th day of Shawwal month in , which is 17 December. The pavement is of white marble, the canopy covered pulpit has a yellow marble balustrade carved in a leafy pattern, and white marble steps. In the courtyard is a mound called ''Ganj Shahid'' or the martyrs' mound, the tomb of warriors who perished in Sultan Ahmed's early fights. The mosque covers area of and have two rows of ten large domes surrounded by several smaller domes. The mosque is supported by 152 pillars and have four arched gateways. There are eight perforated stone windows and 25 fine carved pillars. The pillars inside the mosque were taken from Hindu/ Jain temples, and some still possess Hindu figures. One pillar retains an inscription in Old Gujarati dated from 1252 from the reign of Vīsaladeva Vāghelā, identifying its origin from a temple to Uttareśvara in Mahiṁsaka (an unidentified locality in North Gujarat). The mosque was restored in 2011 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 ...

at cost of .

Gallery

AHMEDSHAH MOSQUE.jpg, The mosque and reservoir reflection, in 2018 Carved Piller at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC001.jpg, Carved pillar Jali Work at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC004.jpg, Lattice work Jali Work at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC005.jpg, Inside lattice work Outer View of Doms of Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC003.jpg, Outer view of the domes Jali Work at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC001.jpg, Lattice work in windows of tomb Jali Work at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC002.jpg, Lattice work Jali Work at Ahmed Shah Mosque - Ahmedabad - Gujarat DSC003.jpg, Lattice work Ahmed Shah Mosque (11071398385).jpg, Hindoo pillars Ahmad Shah's Mosque pillar inscription.png, Pillar containing Vaghela-era inscription Ahmad Shah's Mosque pillars.png, Pillars bearing figures and motifs

References

External links

{{Mosques in India 15th-century mosques in India Buildings and structures completed in 1414 Gujarat Sultanate mosques Indo-Islamic mosques Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat Mosque buildings with domes in India Mosque buildings with minarets in India Mosques completed in the 1410s Mosques in Ahmedabad

History and architecture

Gallery

See also

References

External links