Wazir Khan Mosque Facts

The Wazir Khan Mosque is situated in Lahore, Pakistan. It is accessed easiest by the Delhi gate and located inside the Inner City. It covers an area of 85m x 48m and admired for its beautiful construction and fancy tile work. The Mosque is a popular tourist attraction, attracting visitors that come to offer prayers or to see and admire its unique construction.

Here are a few facts about the Wazir Khan Mosque:

• Construction of the Mosque started in 1634-1635 AD and took seven years to complete.
• It has 5 domes and 4 minarets in total, with the highest minaret being 100 feet.
• The mosque is also featured in a scene of the film “Khuda Ke Liye (For God Sake)”.
• Besides this, it’s also home to the tomb of Muslim Saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq which lies in the inner courtyard.
• The mosque also has a ablution tank in the middle of the courtyard where worshipers perform wudu(ablution).
• The mosque is home to some of the finest tile work from the Mughal period.
• The west side contains the prayer chamber, divided by large piers into five compartments.
• The eastern side is home to to a gallery, leading on to a magnificent spiral staircase up to the roof.
• The Wazir Khan mosque was built by Shaikh llm-ud-din Ansari who later became a physician and governor of Lahore. He become known as Wazir Khan, hence the name of the Wazir Khan mosque.

The Wazir Khan Mosque is a truly wonderful architectural construction. It is said you have to visit and see the mosque in person to fully understand and appreciate it. Constructed entirely from cut and dressed brickwork, embedded in kankar lime with red sandstone in some areas. It is colorful and patterned inside and out, filled with paintings of plants or calligraphy.