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Questions about Wazir Khan Mosque

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Who commissioned Wazir Khan Mosque and when was it built?

Wazir Khan Mosque was commissioned in 1634 by Hakim Ilam-ud-din Ansari, known by his royal title of Wazir Khan. He served as the royal physician to the Mughal court and as the subahdar, or Viceroy, of Punjab under Emperor Shah Jahan. Construction was completed in 1641.

Where is Wazir Khan Mosque located in Lahore?

Wazir Khan Mosque is located in the Walled City of Lahore along the Shahi Guzargah, approximately 260 meters west of the Delhi Gate. It faces Wazir Khan Chowk and stands near the Shahi Hammam baths.

What is kashi-kari and how is it used at Wazir Khan Mosque?

Kashi-kari is a Punjabi tradition of intricate tile-mosaic using Persian-style colors including lajvard (cobalt blue), firozi (cerulean), white, green, orange, yellow, and purple. Wazir Khan Mosque deploys kashi-kari at a scale that no comparable monument from the Shah Jahan period in Lahore can match.

What do the frescoes inside Wazir Khan Mosque depict?

The frescoes on the underside of the main dome depict trees in pairs, pitchers of wine, and platters of fruit. These images are an allusion to the Islamic concept of Paradise.

What makes Wazir Khan Mosque unique among Mughal-era mosques?

Wazir Khan Mosque is considered the most ornately decorated mosque of the Mughal era. Its interior walls are almost entirely covered in buon frescoes that combine imperial Mughal elements with local Punjabi decorative traditions, a combination found in no other mosque of the period.

What restoration work has been done at Wazir Khan Mosque?

Restoration began in 2004 under the Government of Punjab, with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture joining as a partner in 2007. A major project completed in 2015 restored the surrounding Shahi Guzargah with support from Germany, Norway, and the United States. The mosque was added to UNESCO's World Heritage tentative list in 1993 and formal designation remains pending.

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