Badshahi Mosque

What it is

The Badshahi Mosque is an imperial congregational mosque in Lahore, built of red sandstone with marble inlay. It was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and built between 1671 and 1673, with construction overseen by his foster brother Fidai Khan Koka. It still stands in Lahore, Pakistan, facing the Lahore Fort.

Why it matters

Unlike earlier Mughal emperors, Aurangzeb spent much of his reign on military campaigns rather than art and building. This mosque, built to commemorate his campaigns in southern India against the Maratha ruler Shivaji, was one of his few great building projects and the largest mosque built in the Mughal era. It shows how Aurangzeb wanted to be seen: as a powerful and devout Sunni ruler at the height of his empire's wealth. Later rulers, including the Sikh Empire and the British, used the building for very different purposes, showing how meanings of monuments change with new rulers.

Look closer

• What details in the architecture suggest wealth and power rather than simple religious practice?
• Why might an emperor build a mosque to celebrate a military victory?
• What does the mosque's later use as a stable and army garrison tell you about how buildings can be repurposed?