Islamic Architecture World's

Kul Sharif Mosque in Kazan

 Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in (Brunei)

 Putrajaya Mosque in (Malaysia)

 Faisal Mosque in Islamabad (Pakistan)

Kipchak Mosque in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan)

 Mosque Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (Malaysia)

Nur Astana Mosque in (Kazakhstan)

THE MASAAJIDS

of

"AHMED PUR SHARQIA"

　1. JAMIA MASJID AHMED PUR SHARQIA

 

Masjid constructed by

Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan II in 1198 A.H.

There is a blue coloured border over the carved border on the above of it which is encircling all the directions of the minarets and on top of it six leaves have been designed while in a corner there are leaves with two leaflets and three leaves on top of the bottom leaves at the height of two feet. On top of these leaves there are four arches at the height of 2x1.6 feet, while one arch is in this rising portion. The depth of each arch is one foot that are open to the inside of the roof top. Above these arches, there is a border of one foot on which there is a one dome each on every arch with a radius of 1.3 feet. Hence there are five arches and five domes only on one side.

The central portion has been extended towards the front 1.4 feet more than the directions, so its height is also 2 feet more than the directions. The basis of this portion is on a podium with a width of 4.2 feet and a height of 3 feet. In the beginning, there is an octagonal minaret with the size of each dimension being 7.5 feet. The basis of the minaret is on a flower pot with a height of 3.7 feet. A similar flower pot with a height of two feet is also present on the end of the first floor, while the total height of the minaret up to this point is 14.3 feet. After the minaret, there is a frame of two feet dimension in which the carved tiles with a width of one feet including the border and the height of nine inch has been inscribed. Ayat-ul-Kursi has been scripted in the frame of 3.9 feet dimension. The total height of this carved border is 14.3 feet while its breadth is 12.7 feet. From the above after the Ayat-ul-Kursi and 6 inches below there is a carved frame of 2x6 feet dimension, and in all directions after purple coloured carving Sura Al-Kausar has been written in a circle and Bismillah-Hir-Rehman-Ir-Raheem on top of it. While a holy verse and a poetic verse have been written below the circles.

(Translation)

"The mausoleums of all the four precious pearls of knowledge and ethics,

Ali (RZA), Fatima (RZA), Shabbir (RZA) and Shabbar

(RZA)

Further 6 inches below this frame there are two carved frames of 3.6x1 feet dimension in which Sura Al-Kausar on the right and Sura Al-Ikhlas on left side have been written while in the center there is another frame of 1x1 feet dimension and "Ya Fattah" has been written in it.

After these frames, the 6 inches and arch begin. The arch is at the height of 10.6 feet from the ground with a depth of two feet. The front portion of the arch is wavy. The width of the arch is 8.6 feet. At a distance of 1.6 feet on the inner side of the present podium and 1.4 feet from the podium there is a frame of 7.5 feet with a size of each stiff being 4x8 inches. On the top of the frame there is an arch of 2 feet cut wood. The size of the entrance is 6x4 feet.

Above the Ayat-ul-Kursi there is 6 inches border, further above it 6 inches border with design and above this design are seventeen leaves. After these leaves the minaret again starts at the corners, which is followed by a shade after 10 feet height. Inside the shade are four 3 inches wide and one foot high open arches, with a wavy shade. There is a 1.3 feet dome on the shade, which has a crest made of wood. There are seven arches and seven domes between the minarets , with wooden crests on them. The roof top is at the height of 14 feet from the ground floor and there is also the floor of the roof.

At present there are five entrances for the main hall, while three of these are on the eastern side while two lie on the north south sides. The inner part of the entrances is arch like circular. The thickness of the main entrance wall is 5.6 feet, while the walls of doors on the other directions are 4.6 feet thick each. The main hall has been divided into two parts. The size of the first part is 38 x 19 feet, while the second part which starts after the western minarets is of 40,4 x 16 feet size. There are two rounded pillars of 12 feet high and 1.6 feet radius. The distance between the two pillars is 9 feet, while each pillar is at an equal distance of eight feet from minaret..

In the north south of the first part of the main hall in the center of the breadth, there are arches with 8 feet height, 5.6 feet width and 5 feet depth, ornamented with the wooden network. In the middle of the wooden network there is a window of 3x2 feet size. The stairs go upwards to the minarets from the inside walls. Every stair is 2 feet x 23 inches in size and is made up of cedar wood. There are a total of 32 stairs and these go upwards by rotating in a circle.

In the main hall there are two doors which open in the north and south. These doors have been fixed in frame of 9 feet height, in which a glass of one foot height has been fixed in a design of three pieces. After this there is a frame with a 7 x 4 feet size door fitted in it. The formation of the doors on both sides is similar. This frame is fitted in a 12 feet floral arch. There are four arches of same size in the western wall, which are on the sides of the main arch fixed for the Pesh Imam to lead the prayers. The windows have been installed in side each arch, which are 7.4 feet in size with one foot glass in the windows. The windows are three feet above the ground level.

The main arch is at a distance of 2.0 feet from sll directions , with its foundation of 2,3 feet is on a high podium. In the mid of the podium there are two minarets of 5.6 feet height each and a radius of ****, There is a circular border on the top of minarets , and then there is a crown ofr 6,3 feet size on top of the border. A beautiful flower vase encircles the crown.

The arch is four feet deep and 9.6 feet high. There are five dimensions of the arch, with each of the dimensions being 2.3 feet wide and having arch like border with a small parapet on top of it. At the top of the parapet the slope starts.

There are six iron beams in the first part and seven in the second. The tee arches are between the beams on the lower side , where the tiles have been marked on top of it. The width of the beam and the tee arch guarders is 6 inches and 3 inches respectively. There is a linter of 2.6 feet width between the ceilings of both the parts, which has been put on four rounded pillars, each with a radius of****. There are two frames of 1’6 feet high and 8 feet long size between the pillars while in the middle there is another frame of 1.6 feet width and 9 feet length.

If one looks at the roof of the Masjid from a distance then two large domes are visible, this further enhances the elegance of the Masjid Ahmed Pur Sharqia. But in fact these domes are incomplete. These domes exist between the two minarets on north and south and these are the perpendicular alterations. The radius of the dome is 7 feet while the thickness of the walls is 1.6 feet. The height of each dome is 10 feet and the depth is two feet. While the dome is similar in shape to a water melon.

　

2. JAMIA MASJID ABBASIA

Jamia Masjid Abbasia is situated in the old Sikhain wala Bagh in the Mohllah Abbasia of Ahmed Pur Sharqia. It was constructed in 1251 A.H. and the honour of its construction was conferred on the Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan III. According to the elders of the area, it was a temple of the Sikh religion in place of the present Masjid. When the Sikh community left this area in the initial period of the Bahawalpur State, then the temple was also deserted. Later on Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan III abolished the temple and constructed a Masjid in its place. This Masjid comprised of a main hall, on which is an extensive simple dome of 12 feet radius and a courtyard. Before the courtyard was a five feet size place for putting the foot wears. There was one door on the northern side while another door was in the eastern direction. The place for wuzu (ablution) was enclosed with the wall of the northern door. Now this Masjid is two times bigger than the previous one. One part depicts the ancient while the second part portrays the modern architecture. Earlier the ceiling of the terrace is comprised of beams and tiles, which has been re-constructed and the ceiling of asbestos (RCC pipe) has been laid. The front of the Masjid is of ancient style. The previous place for wuzu (ablution) has been abolished and it has been constructed on the eastern side on the additional acquired land for the extension of the Masjid. Hence the eastern entrance has also been displaced from its original position, but the location of the northern entrance is still the same, but the original door has been replaced.

In the reminiscent of Ahmed Pur Sharqia Jamia Masjid Abbasia has been placed at two number in the list. As our demand is to study the reminiscent .therefore, the portion of the Masjid Abbasia will also remain under our study, which is a sign of the magnificent past of the area.

The size of the courtyard of the Masjid is 35.9 x 42 feet. ON the front side of the Masjid, there are two minarets, which are of three dimensions. The size pf each dimension is 1.1 feet and the length of this part is two feet. On top of it, the height of the three dimensional minaret is 14 feet.

It is encircled by shade of blue colour. Above the frame the is a half dome with six feet radius and three feet height, which is solid from inside. After the frame of Ayat-ul-Kursi there is a blue border at the start, which adopts the shape of wavy arch while going towards the top. The width of the arch from the top is 2.3 feet, and it is 11 feet high and 7.6 feet wide. Before the entrance there are stairs, with equal size of 7 feet 9 inches. At the end of the stairs there is a foot mat with a width of 7.6 feet. After that there is an entrance of 6x4 feet size. The courtyard of the Masjid is 28.6 x 60 feet size. and floor has been made of hexagonal bricks. The size of each dimension of the brick is four inches each.

The Masjid comprises of four minarets and two half domes. The construction of the domes have been made in such a style that these seem to be complete apparently, but actually are half shaped. The front of the Masjid is comprised of two minarets and three portions. The portions on the sides are equal in size while the middle portion has been protruded forward. The basis of the minaret is three dimensional with 4 feet width and 4,6 feet height on each dimension. There is a border on each foundation and above it is an octagonal minaret, with each dimension being 3.6 feet wide. The height of the minaret is 14 feet. After this there is border and the border is followed by a leaf , which is two feet high and on foot wide and inclined outwards. The number of leaves is 22 After further 9 inches border , there is enclave of planks of wood, with each plank having a size of 1.6 x 9 inches, and there is a minaret like structure between every two planks. The height further rises to 20 feet. After ten feet more leaves of two feet length have been designed and this form a shade by protruding outside, and above it is another circle of wooden planks. Above these planks area eight arches which are 5 to 6 feet high and are directional arches, open and closed with corners. The width of each arch is 2.9 feet. At the end of the arches, there is a fringe and a dome of six feet radius. There is a four storey crest. The shape of all the four arches is same. The dome are like the half portion of a water melon. There are fissures for the pigeons to make their nests on each dimension which are 10 feet higher than the first floor.

There are steps for going up to the minarets, which are made of the wood of cedar, totaling 32 in number. There are two passages to go upstairs to the minarets. One passage goes directly from the top of the roof while the second leads from the right side windows wall of the central hall to the top.

There is a border of eight inches at a distance of 1.4 feet inside the minarets

space

for

Proposed

figure

　

Inside all these frames the blue flower pots have been carved on the white tiles. If we come to the bottom from the top then after the first border of carved tiles, there is a frame of 5 x 2 feet tiles, and a holy verse of the Holy Quran has been scripted on it.



There is a second border carved tiles with another frame of 5x2 feet dimension with a verse from the Holy Quran has also been scripted inside it. After this frame the last border and then the arch of the main entrance follows which is two feet high than the frame. Below this arch up to the frame, there is an arch of wood which has been carved on it. After that their comes the frame of the main entrance and its size is 7x5 feet while the main center is 6x4 feet while the stiffs of the wood are 4x5.5 dimensions each.

There is another frame of 6x3 feet above it, in which Bismillah and the pray of Afzal-uz-Zikr have been inscribed. The last frame is 6 x 5 feet and it has been written green background about the construction of the Masjid: