Location
Located next to Mahboob Chowk Clock and the Market, the Chowk ki Masjid sits on top of an old market.
Description
The Chowk ki Masjid is a Asaf Jahi era mosque constructed in 1817 by Haydaruddawlah. Although it is often mistakenly attributed to Abdullah Khan, Haydaruddawlah’s grandfather, it remains one of the finest specimens of Neo-Qutb Shahi architecture.
The mosque is built on a one-story plinth, which features arched recesses for shops. A portion of the revenue generated from these shops was used to support mosque expenses. The interior of the mosque features a series of simple pointed arches that lead to pendentives capped by flat roofs. Two roundels with a Qur’anic inscription, “Nasr an min Allahi wa fath ‘an qarib,” adorn the spandrels of the mihrab arch.
A single stairway with an ornamental parapet leads up to the second-story courtyard and the mosque proper. The masjid is constructed with stone masonry and covered with lime plaster. The mosque’s Bengali jharokhas and a vaulted market under its plinth are a testament to the traditional craftsmanship of the local artisans.
Existing Condition
Several coats of enamel paint have been added to the original structure and the complex is surrounded by numerous shops now.
Archive
References
Contributors
NIUM