Achut Bibi's Mosque and Tomb, also known as Shahi Masjid locally, is a medieval mosque and tomb complex on the bank of Sabarmati river in Dudheshwar, Ahmedabad, India.

History and architecture

Achut Bibi's Mosque Ahmedabad 1866 Minarets

Tomb near Achut Bibi's Mosque Ahmedabad 1866

Achut chhutBibi's mosque was built in 1469 by Haji Malik Bahauddin, entitled Imad ul-Mulk, one of

Mahmud Begada Sultan Mahmud Begada or Mahmud Shah I (), was the most prominent Sultan of the Gujarat Sultanate. Raised to the throne at young age, he successfully captured Pavagadh and Junagadh forts in battles which gave him his name ''Begada''. He establish ...

's (1459-1511) ministers, for his wife Bibi Achut Kuki whose tomb is close by. Very little is known about Bibi Achut Kuki. Possibly she was an important member of royal

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

. The mosque and tomb are enclosed in stone walls. The entrance has two arches and two minarets with

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 ...

. Its large enclosure was once adorned by seven minarets, three at the outer and two at the inner entrance, and two on the mosque itself. Except the lower parts of the mosque minarets, all seven were thrown down and destroyed in the

1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake The 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake occurred at about 18:45 to 18:50 local time on 16 June. It had an estimated magnitude ranging from 7.7 to 8.2 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of XI (''Extreme'') on the Mercalli in ...

. The tomb complex of Bibi Achut Kuki is located on the south end of the mosque. It is an open canopy with thirty two pillars and eight domes under which several unmarked tombs are located. The exact tomb of Bibi is not identifiable as flagstones are missing. The tomb and mosque was again damaged in 2001 Gujarat earthquake and was restored by

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 Alexand ...

. The structures are also threatened by encroachments.

References

Mosques in Ahmedabad Religious buildings and structures completed in 1469 Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat {{India-mosque-stub