The Aqsa Mosque, also known as the Masjid Aqsa (), is a

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 ...

affiliated with the

Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...

movement, located in

Qadian Qadian (; ) is a town and a municipal council in Gurdaspur district, north-east of Amritsar, situated north-east of Batala city in the state of Punjab, India. Qadian is the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movem ...

, in the

Gurdaspur district Gurdaspur district is a district in the Majha region of the state of Punjab, India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of Pakistani Punjab, and the districts of Amritsar, Pathankot, Kapurthala ...

of the state of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, India. The 19th-century mosque is the largest and oldest mosque in Qadian, and is situated inside the compound of the ancestrial house of

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and '' Mahdī'', in fulfillment of th ...

, close to the

White Minaret The White Minaret is a stone minaret beside the Aqsa Mosque, Qadian, Aqsa Mosque in Qadian, Punjab, India, Punjab. It was constructed under the direction of the Indian religious leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. It serves as a lighthouse symbolising th ...

, and located in the Ahmadiyya Mohallah of

History

The mosque was built in 1876 by Mirza Ghulam Murtaza, father of

, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. In January 1938, a loudspeaker was installed in Aqsa Mosque for the first time. At that time, the second caliph,

Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad (; 12 January 1889 – 8 November 1965) was the Ahmadiyya Caliphate, second caliph (, ''khalīfatul masīh al-thāni''), leader of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the eldest son of Mirza Ghulam A ...

, gave a sermon on this. Throughout the 20th century, the mosque was renovated and repeatedly extended by the Ahmadiyya administration and, , the capacity of the building has increased to 15,000 worshippers, from its initial capacity of 200.

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1876 establishments in India 19th-century mosques in India Ahmadiyya mosques in India Buildings and structures in Gurdaspur district Mosque buildings with domes in India Mosque buildings with minarets in India Mosques completed in the 1870s Mosques in Punjab, India Qajar mosques Religious buildings and structures completed in 1876 {{India-mosque-stub

History

See also

References

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