HISTORY OF BADSHAHI MASJID

The masjid was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's promote brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.

The construction of the masjid took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The masjid was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the masjid, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, gradually repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Masjid Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the masjid to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the masjid.

Recently a small museum has also been added to the masjid complex, which contains relics of Muhammad, his cousin, and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.

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