Moti Mosque
File / Documentation![]()
Name
150551_sv.jpg
Size
533.26 KB
Format
JPEG
Checksum (MD5)
b2a3ec8f1f9b3766019e5045eaf4be0e
Creator(s)
Islamic, Indian (South Asian)
Location
Current Site: Delhi (India)
Cultural context
Islamic
Indian (South Asian)
Description
Aurangzeb (r. 1657-1701) built the Moti Mosque in the Red Fort of Shahjahanabad, Delhi, to provide a mosque for the palatial fortress. Shah Jahan, the founder of the fort, had relied on the Jami Mosque outside of the fortress walls for congregational prayer. The mosque is set in a small compound, entered from the east, which includes a courtyard, pool, and the mosque building itself. The walls of the enclosure are dressed in plain red sandstone. The thickness of the walls are varied in order to align the exterior with the neighboring buildings, while allowing the interior to face Mecca accurately. The interior of the enclosure is entirely in white marble.
The prayer hall is slightly elevated from the courtyard, and is entered through three cusped arches that lead into two aisles of three bays each. Three bulbous domes on constricted drums cover the mosque. These were originally gilt in copper, but were later replaced by the white marble domes that can be seen today. The interior is highly decorated, with arabesques and plant patterns carved into the white marble facings and structural members.
The prayer hall is slightly elevated from the courtyard, and is entered through three cusped arches that lead into two aisles of three bays each. Three bulbous domes on constricted drums cover the mosque. These were originally gilt in copper, but were later replaced by the white marble domes that can be seen today. The interior is highly decorated, with arabesques and plant patterns carved into the white marble facings and structural members.
exterior, view from Diwan-i Khas to mosque, 1988
Work type
Mosque
Medium
stone
Type
Image
Rights
(c) Alfred De Costa, Courtesy Aga Khan Visual Archive, MIT
Access rights
All rights reserved
Persistent Link
