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The Badshahi mosque at Lahore in Punjab District, Pakistan is the world's fifth largest mosque and the mosque with the largest mosque courtyard. They say it is visible even at 15km away from it. Its construction began in 1671 under the guidance of Mogul emperor Aurangzeb and lasted for 2 years. The mosque is made of red sandstone tiles and white marble. The mosque also holds a record of being the world's largest mosque for 313 years until 1986. With a capacity of 5000 devotees inside and 95000 others in the courtyard, the Badshahi mosque has become one of the key important religious places in Pakistan.
In 1799, Lahore was captured by Ranjit Sigh who used the Badshahi mosque's courtyard to park his military horses. Mosque was damaged to a great extent at that time. During his son's era, Sher Sigh's he used the four minarets of the mosque to hold light guns. Until the British rule till 1947 the mosque was under a dark shadow and was damaged a lot along with loosing some of its grandeur as an architectural masterpiece. However restoration programs took place since 1939 and by 1947 it was back in shape.
An exquisite feature, the large courtyard of the mosque covers an area of 25,899.9 m2. It also divided into two parts as lower and upper. The complex has 3 visible domes, one large and two small ones. The main prayer chamber is divided into 7 compartments which altogether covers an area of 2,120.5 m2. The four minarets are 53.75 m high and 20m in circumference.
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Travellers' Guide
Badshahi mosque is a famous tourist attraction today. If you are planning to visit Lahore make sure you visit Badshahi mosque and take the chance to admire its beauty and architecture. The mosque was nominated for a UNESCO world heritage site too. Here are some of the hotels in the area, don't forget to visit them and enjoy a bite or two.
Avari Hotel Lahore 87 Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam | (The Mall), Lahore 54000, Pakistan
The Residency Hotel
39-A, Gulberg-V | Off. Zafar Ali Road, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Pearl Continental Lahore
Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Mirage Hotel
21 Lake Rd, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
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