Daily Times

You must have visited Lahore Fort many times but have you ever seen the glittering white pearl there? Well, that’s the ‘Moti Masjid’ or the ‘Pearl Mosque’ inside the fort. As you enter the fort through the royal ramp you will see three domes on your left. That’s the beautiful Moti Masjid and you can access it through the canteen area and Makatib Khana.

This is a gem inside the fort, and trust me, it is not just any mosque; it has stories, myths, and mysteries associated with it. This small mosque is known to have spirits and ghosts. Many tourists have claimed to see them. The mosque has a strange aura and it puts you into a trance as you step in through the narrow stairs.

Whenever I visit the mosque, I see people coming there with strong beliefs and the faith that their wishes will be heard by God. I also see people visiting it believe that Nawafil and Asr prayers offered in the Moti Masjid make their wishes and prayers come true. Many devotees come back for offering Nawafil when they get what they have prayed for. It could be a coincidence but this small mosque is always brimming with devotees who want to offer prayers. I think it can only accommodate one hundred people, but I often see people waiting outside the mosque for their turn to go in. People from all over the world visit this place every week and you can hardly step into the mosque during Asr time.

The luminous facade of the Moti Masjid is divided into five chambers with the central one slightly extended into the courtyard. They can be seen in many mosques built during the Mughal era including the Mariam Zamani Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque

I respect the beliefs of people and I have myself experienced the unseen forces and their friendly grip.

The mosque was built in 1645 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The historical accounts state that it might have been built along with Dolat Khana Khaas-o-Aam of Shah Jahan because the structure is located very close to the mosque area. Moti mosques are found in Agra and Delhi. It was a common Mughal practice to name mosques after precious stones as well as personalities like Wazir Khan and Dai Anga Mosque,

This mosque was named as Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque because of its white pearl-like color and small size. It is one of the two mosques built in marble by Shah Jahan. The second such mosque was built at Agra Fort in 1654 A.D. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb also constructed a similar mosque at Red Fort Delhi in 1662 A.D. All these mosques are called Moti Masjid.

Another distinctive feature of this mosque is that it is built from sang-e-marmar (white marble) brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, India. Makrana has always been prominent for the white marble taken from the mines around it. Marble from Makrana was also used in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Till today, you will see this marble glowing like a pearl.

The luminous facade of the Moti Masjid is divided into five chambers with the central one slightly extended into the courtyard. The five chambers or bay facades were the specialty of the Mughals. They can be seen in many mosques built during the Mughal era including the Mariam Zamani Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque.

The mosque has its own grandeur despite being small. The aura changes in the moonlight but unfortunately the fort closes after sunset and visitors can’t experience that magic. The Walled City of Lahore Authority will soon be opening this mosque for night tours and you can soon see it sparkling at night time.

The arches have a delicate pietra dura work on them. This is a delicate work of precious stones inlay. It is said that the precious stones inside the fort were looted by the Sikhs and later by British soldiers.

The same décor you will find in the Diwan-e-Khaas inside Shah Jahan’s Quadrangle, Sheesh Mahal, Naulakha Pavilion and some other buildings of Mughal Era.

Moti Masjid, like many other Mughal era mosques, has seen good and bad times during different rules. As per historic references, when the Sikhs took over the Lahore Fort, the mosque was converted into a Sikh temple and renamed as Moti Mandir during the rule of Raja Ranjit Singh. Muslims were very much perturbed over the situation but were helpless. Later in both the Sikh and British era, the mosque was used as a building for the state treasury. In 1899, on the orders of Lord Curzon the viceroy of Sub-continent, the building was restored to its former status, and some of the religious remnants were preserved at the Badshahi Mosque.

The beautiful interior is simple but the ceilings are decorated with arches and horizontal beams. Moti Masjid has three domes that can be seen from afar. The middle one is bigger than the two on each side. As per historic and architectural references; the domes of Moti Masjid are double domes devised for loud acoustics. Most of the Mughal era mosques have similar double-dome structure for the same purpose. This feature of the domes enables the sound to be heard clearly as in a modern auditorium.

Both male and females can offer prayers because on each side of the mosque in the separate chambers. At one end of the mosque is a very narrow and steep staircase leading to the roof-top of the mosque. It is usually closed and visitors are not allowed to go upstairs. The roof-top has a spectacular view of the Lahore Fort.

I suggest that whenever you are visiting Lahore Fort do see this pearl as well.

Published in Daily Times, September 17^th 2018.