Sri Lanka (2,243 m) – Sacred Mountain of Sri Lanka Sri Pada is one of the most universally sacred mountains in the Far East. A towering, almost perfectly conical peak, it is considered to be an important religious site by Buddhists and Hindus as well as by Muslims and Christians. Its name means “butterfly mountain”, and though primarily a Buddhist site, is also known as … [Read more...]
JABAL AL-NOUR
Saudi Arabia (842 m) – Periodic Home of the Prophet Muhammad Jabal Al-Nour is a tall, rocky hill just outside of the city of Mecca. According to Muslim tradition, it was on this mountain where the Prophet Muhammad received his earliest divine revelations that ultimately led to the foundation of Islam. Often overlooked because of its proximity to the great shrines of Mecca, … [Read more...]
BARA IMAMBARA
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh The Bara Imambara is, depending on who you ask, the largest mosque in India. However, an Imambara is technically not a mosque but rather a Shia ceremonial building used for the commemeroation of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. This tremendous building, a public works project which ran for years in order to keep … [Read more...]
TAJ-UL-MASAJID
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh The Taj-ul-Masajid is the largest mosque in India (not counting the Bara Imambara), the second largest outside of the Middle East and the tenth largest in the world. It was the last major construction project to be initiated by the Mughal Empire in its last days, and it was not completed until 1985 after a construction hiatus that lasted more than a … [Read more...]
MAKKAH MOSQUE
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh The Makkah Mosque is often overlooked in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, the Charminar Mosque. However, the Makkah Mosque is more than worthy of attention in its own right. Begun during the reign of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty and completed under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, this 17th century masterpiece is the largest mosque in Southern India. It … [Read more...]
BIBI KA MAQBARA
Aurangabad, Maharashtra The Bibi Ka Maqbara is arguably India’s second greatest mausoleum. However, being in the shadow of the world famous Taj Mahal, the Bibi Ka Maqbara is virtually forgotten in wider India, and almost unknown around the world. Built by the son of Shah Jahan for his first wife, the Bibi Ka Maqbara bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, to which it is … [Read more...]
MOTI MOSQUE
Delhi, NCT The Moti Mosque is part of the architectural legacy of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the son of famed builder Shah Jahan. Like his father, Aurangzeb ruled a great realm that covered most of India, and like his father he endeavored to adorn many of its cities with civic improvements and architectural marvels. Though he did not rival his father in the latter, he did … [Read more...]
JAMA MASJID – DELHI
Delhi, NCT Many cities grew in magnificence under the reign of Shah Jahan, but few benefited as much from his patronage as the city of Delhi. Delhi, which had previously served as a capital during the age of the Sultanate of Delhi, was established as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Shah Jahan in the early 17th century. The city was rebuilt with many new civic buildings and … [Read more...]
JAMA MASJID – AGRA
Agra, Uttar Pradesh The last great Turkic empire to arise in Central Asia was that of the Mughals, which at its height in the late Middle Ages dominated much of Afghanistan, Persia, Pakistan and India. The Mughal Empire reached its peak during the reign of Shah Jahan in the 17th century. Shah Jahan, who was largely responsible for expanding the Mughal Empire into India, made … [Read more...]
JAMA MASJID – AHMEDABAD
Ahmedabad, Gujarat The Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad, also known as the Jumma Mosque, was the largest mosque constructed in India prior to the arrival of the Mughals. Part of a fort complex built in the early 15th century, the Jumma Mosque is arguably the most magnificent mosque of the era. Other than its missing minarets, it is also one of finest surviving examples of pre-Mughal … [Read more...]
