Grand Jamia Mosque: A fusion of traditional Islamic architecture and Pakistani culture

Pakistan

Grand Jamia Mosque: A fusion of traditional Islamic architecture and Pakistani culture

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(Web Desk) - Located in Bahria Town Lahore, the Grand Jamia Mosque is truly an architectural masterpiece. With a capacity to hold 70,000 visitors, the Grand Jamia Mosque is Pakistan s third largest and the world s seven largest mosque.

Possessing four minarets that are 165 feet high, one big dome 40 feet in height and 20 small domes, the breathtakingly huge structure of the mosque diminishes the surrounding buildings. The mosque is a blend of traditional Islamic architecture with Pakistani culture.

For an unaware person looking at the mosque for the first time, it does seem like it was built a few hundred years ago, considering its magnificent structure that only seems worthy of being commissioned by a Mughal emperor.

The Grand Jamia Mosque was constructed at a cost of Rs 4 billion and inaugurated in 2014. An awe-inspiring feature of the mosque is that the entire exterior of the mosque is lined with 4 million, 2.5 inch handmade tiles crafted from special Multani mitti and placed by hand. The placing of these tiles alone took four years.

The marble floor of the mosque is covered with elegantly crafted Turkish carpets. The roof is ordained with over 50 chandeliers imported from Iran. 

The mosque also features an Islamic art gallery, a school, and a special section designated for female worshippers.

The architecture of the mosque is influenced by the Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. The huge minarets of the mosque are probably influenced by the Badshahi Mosque, the multiple domes by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, while the courtyard with the fountain in the centre, an important Persian influence, is taken from the Wazir Khan Mosque.