View source for Wazir Khan Mosque

{{Short description|Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name                  = Wazir Khan Mosque
| native_name           = {{nq|وزیر خاں مسیت}}<br />{{nq|مسجد وزیر خان}}
| native_name_lang      = ur
| image                 = Wazir Khan Mosque by Moiz.jpg
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| coordinates           = {{coord|31|34|59|N|74|19|24|E|region:PK_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
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| religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
| locale                = 
| location              = [[Lahore District|Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| deity                 = 
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| architect             = Unknown{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}
| architecture_type     = [[mosque]] and [[Dargah|Sufi mausoleum]]
| architecture_style    = [[Indo-Islamic architecture|Indo-Islamic]], [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]]
| founded_by            = [[Wazir Khan (Lahore)|Wazir Khan]]
| creator               = 
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| established           = 
| groundbreaking        = 1634
| year_completed        = {{start date and age|3 December 1641}}
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| dome_quantity         = 5
| dome_height_outer     = {{convert|21|ft}}
| dome_height_inner     = {{convert|32|ft}}
| dome_dia_outer        = {{convert|19|ft}}
| dome_dia_inner        = {{convert|23|ft}}
| minaret_quantity      = 4
| minaret_height        = {{convert|107|ft}}
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The '''Wazir Khan Mosque'''{{efn|{{langx|pa|{{nq|وزیر خاں مسیت}}}}, {{small|[[Romanization|romanized]]:}} ''Wazīr <u>Kh</u>ã Masīt''; [[Persian language|Persian]], {{Langx|ur|{{nq|مسجد وزیر خان}}|Masjid Wazīr <u>Kh</u>ān}}}} is a 17th-century [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] mosque located in the city of [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], Pakistan. The mosque was commissioned by the then governor of [[Subah of Lahore|Punjab]], [[Wazir Khan (Lahore)|Wazir Khan]], during the reign of the Mughal Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] as a part of an ensemble of buildings that also included the nearby [[Shahi Hammam|Shahi Hammam baths]]. Construction of the Mosque began in 1634, and was completed in 1641.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore: Preliminary Report on Condition and Risk Assessment|url=http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/6585/original/DPC3347.pdf?1384798179|access-date=25 August 2016|agency=Aga Khan Development Network|date=2012|quote=The Wazir Khan Mosque was built in 1634-35 AD (1044-45 AH), by Hakim 'Ali ud din* a governor of Punjab in the early part of the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.|archive-date=27 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827000354/http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/6585/original/DPC3347.pdf?1384798179|url-status=dead}}</ref>  

Considered to be the most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque,<ref name="Masson">{{cite book|last1=Masson|first1=Vadim Mikhaĭlovich|title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia: Development in contrast : from the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century|date=2003|publisher=UNESCO|isbn=9789231038761}}</ref> Wazir Khan Mosque is noted for its intricate [[faience]] tile work known as ''kashi-kari'', as well as its interior surfaces that are almost entirely embellished with elaborate  [[fresco]]es. It is on the [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List]].<ref name="UNESCO2">{{cite web |title=Wazir Khan's Mosque, Lahore |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1278/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520134730/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1278/ |archive-date=20 May 2024 |access-date=28 December 2024 |publisher=UNESCO website}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Badshahi Mosque, Lahore |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1277/ |access-date=7 May 2020 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher=UNESCO}}</ref> 

== Location ==
[[File:Wazir Khan Mosque - Aerial View.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of the Wazir Khan Mosque. The ''Shahi Guzargah'' is seen along its southern side.|239x239px]]
The mosque is located in the [[Walled City of Lahore]] along the southern side of Lahore's ''Shahi Guzargah'', or "Royal Road," which was the traditional route traversed by Mughal nobles on their way to royal residences at the [[Lahore Fort]].<ref name="archnet.org">{{cite web|title=History and Background in Conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore: Preliminary Report on Condition and Risk Assessment.|url=http://archnet.org/publications/6586|website=Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme|publisher=Aga Khan Cultural Services - Pakistan|access-date=25 August 2016|date=2012}}</ref> The mosque is situated approximately 260 meters west of the [[Delhi Gate (Lahore)|Delhi Gate]],<ref name=Youlin>{{cite news|url=http://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/wazir-khan-mosque/NjE3#sthash.t4rrpvbA.dpbs|url-status=dead|author=Noor ul Ain|date=30 June 2016|archive-date=17 July 2016|access-date=28 December 2024|title=Experiencing Wazir Khan Mosque|newspaper=Youlin magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717192257/http://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/wazir-khan-mosque/NjE3#sthash.t4rrpvbA.dpbs}}</ref> where the Shahi Hammam is located.<ref name="archnet.org" /> The Masjid also faces a town square known as [[Wazir Khan Chowk]], and the [[Chitta Gate]]. The mosque hosts the shrine of Saint Sakhi Saif Souf.

==Background==
The mosque was commissioned by the royal physician and the ''[[subahdar]]'', or Viceroy, of Punjab, Hakim Ilam-ud-din Ansari, better known by his royal title of Wazir Khan.<ref name="WKM">Asher, p.225</ref><ref>Shelomo Dov Goitein. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cmn8U8uNtFAC&dq=wazir+arabic+word&pg=PA170 ''Studies in Islamic History and Institutions''] BRILL, 2010 {{ISBN|9004179313}} p 170</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Masjid Vazir K̲h̲ān|url=http://archnet.org/sites/1750|website=Archnet|access-date=25 August 2016|quote=The mosque was founded by Hakim Ilmud Din Ansari, a distinguished physician from Chiniot who received the Ministerial title of 'Wazir Khan' under the reign of Shah Jahan, and was later promoted to the position of Viceroy of Punjab.}}</ref> Wazir Khan owned substantial amounts of property near the Delhi Gate, and commissioned the Wazir Khan mosque in 1634 in order to enclose the tomb of Miran Badshah,{{sfn|Wescoat|1996|p=160}} an esteemed Sufi saint whose tomb now lies in the courtyard of the mosque.<ref name="WKM" /> Prior to the construction of the Wazir Khan Mosque, the site had been occupied by an older shrine to the saint.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore: Preliminary Report on Condition and Risk Assessment|url=http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/6585/original/DPC3347.pdf?1384798179|access-date=25 August 2016|agency=Aga Khan Development Network|date=2012|quote=It was built on the remains of an old Sufi complex and the Sufi grave sites associated with it.|archive-date=27 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827000354/http://archnet.org/system/publications/contents/6585/original/DPC3347.pdf?1384798179|url-status=dead}}</ref> Wazir Khan's mosque superseded the older [[Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum|Maryam Zamani Mosque]] as the Lahore main mosque for [[Jumu'ah|congregational Friday prayers]].<ref name="WK22">Gharipour, p.87</ref> 

Main construction of the mosque began under the reign of Shah Jahan in either 1634 or 1635, and was completed in approximately seven years. The chief architect of the Wazir Khan mosque remains unknown,{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pope |first=Arthur Upham |author-link=Arthur Upham Pope |url= |title=Islamic Period, From the End of the Sasanian Empire to the Present |date=2005 |publisher=Mazda Publishers |isbn=978-1-56859-116-2 |series=A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present |pages=252 |language=en}}</ref> although Wazir Khan is documented to have employed artisans and craftsmen from his hometown of [[Chiniot]], which was renowned for wood carving and stonework, to construct the mosque.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaw |first=Isobel |url= |title=Collins Illustrated Guide to Pakistan |date=1989 |publisher=Collins |isbn=978-0-00-215217-4 |pages=102 |language=en}}</ref> During this period [[Ali Mardan Khan]], [[Ustad Ahmad Lahori|Ahmad Lahori]], [[Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni|Ala-ul-Mulk Tuni]] and Abdul Karim were the prominent architects active in Lahore, however, due to absence of any inscriptions on mosque connecting any of them with its construction, the identity of its architect remains uncertain.{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}

In the late 1880s, [[John Lockwood Kipling]], father of [[Rudyard Kipling]], wrote about the mosque and its decorative elements in the former ''Journal of Indian Art''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Media Archive |url=https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/taxonomy/term/799 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804115333/https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/taxonomy/term/799 |archive-date=4 August 2017 |access-date=26 August 2016 |website=umedia.lib.umn.edu}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Journal of Indian Art |url=https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/483154 |url-status=dead |journal=Journal of Indian Art (1886 and 1887) |location=London |publisher=W. Griggs and Sons |volume=1 and 2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905141052/https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/node/483154 |archive-date=5 September 2018 |access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> The British scholar [[Fred Henry Andrews]] noted in 1903 that the mosque had fallen into disrepair.{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}

==Architecture==
{{also|Mughal architecture}}
[[File:Revised photo Interior of Wazir Khan Mosque.jpg|thumb|Wazir Khan Mosque is renowned for its intricate and extensive embellishment.]]
The mosque is built on an elevated [[plinth]], with the main portal opening onto the Wazir Khan Chowk. The outer perimeter of the Wazir Khan Mosque measures {{convert|279|ft|m}} by {{convert|159|ft|m}}, with the long axis parallel to the ''Shahi Guzargah''.<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|title=Wazir Khan's Mosque, Lahore|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1278/|publisher=UNESCO website|access-date=28 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520134730/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1278/|archive-date=20 May 2024}}</ref> It was built with bricks laid in [[kankar]] [[Lime (material)|lime]].<ref name="UNESCO" /> The mosque's interior is embellished with frescoes that synthesize Mughal and local Punjabi decorative traditions, while the exterior of the mosque is decorated with intricate Punjabi tile-mosaic known as ''kashi-kari''.{{sfn|Wescoat|1996|loc=p. 160: Fine fresco painting and tile decoration in Wazir Khan’s mosque synthesized Mughal and Punjabi ornamental traditions}}<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Tadgell |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Tadgell |url= |title=Architecture in the Indian Subcontinent: From the Mauryas to the Mughals |date=2023 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-003-80336-2 |pages=905 |language=en |quote=The dazzling effect of the exterior is derived from the brilliant Punjabi tile mosaic in the framework of glazed red brick.}}</ref>
===Decorative elements===
Wazir Khan mosque is known for its elaborate embellishment in a style which draws from the decorative traditions from several regions. While other monuments in Lahore from the Shah Jahan period feature intricate ''kashi-kari'' tile work, none match the scale of the Wazir Khan Mosque.<ref>{{cite news|title=DOCUMENTATION AND CONSERVATION OF WAZIR KHAN MOSQUE, LAHORE, PAKISTAN|url=http://cipa.icomos.org/fileadmin/template/doc/PRAGUE/129.pdf|access-date=26 August 2016|agency=Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan}}</ref>

====Structure====
Bricks facing the mosque's exterior are richly embellished with the Punjabi-style tile work known as ''kashi-kari''.<ref name=":1" />{{sfn|Wescoat|1996|loc= p. 160: Fine fresco painting and tile decoration in Wazir Khan’s mosque synthesized Mughal and Punjabi ornamental traditions}} Persian-style colours used include {{transliteration|fa|lajvard}} ([[cobalt blue]]), {{transliteration|fa|firozi}} ([[cerulean]]), white, green, orange, yellow and purple.<ref>{{cite book|author1=W.J. Furnival|title=Leadless decorative tiles, faience, and mosaic|publisher=Рипол Классик|isbn=9781176325630|pages=838}}</ref>[[File:9_Wazir_Khan_Mosque.jpg|thumb|The main prayer hall is richly embellished with Mughal frescoes.]]The façade of the entry portal facing Wazir Khan Chowk is decorated with elaborate tile work and calligraphy that includes verses of the [[Quran]], the [[Hadith|sayings of the Prophet Muhammad]], prayers for the Prophet, and calligraphic insignias.{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}} Above the ''iwan'' entrance to the main prayer hall are verses from the Quran's ''surah'' [[al-Baqara]] written by the calligraphist ''Haji Yousaf Kashmiri''.{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}

====Frescoes====
Unlike the contemporary [[Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta|Shah Jahan Mosque]] in [[Sindh]], the interior walls of Wazir Khan Mosque are plastered and adorned with highly detailed [[buon fresco]]es. The interior decorative style is unique for Mughal-era mosques,<ref name="WK">Gharipour, p.87</ref> as it combines imperial Mughal elements with local Punjabi decorative styles.{{sfn|Wescoat|1996|loc= p. 160: Fine fresco painting and tile decoration in Wazir Khan’s mosque synthesized Mughal and Punjabi ornamental traditions}} The main prayer hall contains a square pavilion over which the mosque's largest dome rests — a Persian form known as ''Char Taq''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cahartaq|title=ČAHĀRṬĀQ – Encyclopaedia Iranica|last=electricpulp.com|website=www.iranicaonline.org}}</ref> The underside of the dome feature frescoes depicting trees in pairs, pitchers of wine, and platters of fruit, which are an allusion to the [[Jannah|Islamic concept of Paradise]].{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}}

====Architectural embellishments====
[[File:Wazir_Khan_Mosque15.JPG|thumb|Several archways in the mosque are decorated with [[muqarna]]s.]]
The arched niche at the mosque's entrance facing Wazir Khan Chowk is richly decorated with floral motifs, and features one of Lahore's first examples of a [[Muqarnas|muqarna]] — an architectural element found at the [[Alhambra]] in [[Spain]], as well as on several imperial mosques in [[Iran]].<ref name="WK" /><ref name="Malik" /> The low domes over the prayer hall reflect the style of the earlier [[Lodi dynasty]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wheeler|first1=Sir Robert Eric Mortimer|title=The Cambridge History of India: The Indus civilization. Supplementary volume|date=1953|publisher=CUP Archive|pages=36|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoI8AAAAIAAJ&q=wazir+khan+decorative&pg=PA561|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> which ruled Lahore prior to the Mughal era.<ref name="Haig">Haig, p.561</ref>

==Layout==
Wazir Khan's mosque was part of a larger complex that included a row of shops traditionally reserved for calligraphers and bookbinders, and the town square in front of the mosque's main entrance.<ref name="CURRENT PROJECTS22">{{cite web |title=CURRENT PROJECTS |url=http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south-asia/pakistan/cultural-development/walled-city-lahore-conservation |access-date=25 August 2016 |publisher=Aga Khan Development Network |quote=The complex included the mosque itself, the chowk (an urban introductory space), a row of hujras (shops) integrated in the entrance system meant specifically for calligraphers and bookbinders, and additional shops on the eastern and northern facades built into the body of the monument.CURRENT PROJECTS}}</ref> The mosque also rented space to other types of merchants in the mosque's northern and eastern façades, and ran the nearby Shahi Hammam.<ref name="CURRENT PROJECTS22">{{cite web |title=CURRENT PROJECTS |url=http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south-asia/pakistan/cultural-development/walled-city-lahore-conservation |access-date=25 August 2016 |publisher=Aga Khan Development Network |quote=The complex included the mosque itself, the chowk (an urban introductory space), a row of hujras (shops) integrated in the entrance system meant specifically for calligraphers and bookbinders, and additional shops on the eastern and northern facades built into the body of the monument.CURRENT PROJECTS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2012 |title=History and Background in Conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore: Preliminary Report on Condition and Risk Assessment. |url=http://archnet.org/publications/6586 |access-date=25 August 2016 |website=Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme |publisher=Aga Khan Cultural Services - Pakistan |quote=The spectacular monumental ensemble of the Wazir Khan Mosque in the Walled City of Lahore was built in 1634 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Its endowment then comprised the congregational mosque, an elaborate forecourt, a serai, a hammam, a bazaar, and a special bazaar for calligraphers and bookbinders.}}</ref> Revenues from these sources were meant to serve as a ''[[waqf]]'', or endowment, for the mosque's maintenance.<ref name="Qasmi22">{{cite book |author1=A. H. Qasmi |title=International encyclopaedia of Islam |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |year=2006 |isbn=9788182053205 |page=269}}</ref>

===Entrance===
[[File:Tomb of Syed Muhammad Ishaq, within Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore.jpg|thumb|The mosque contains the tomb of the [[Sufi]] saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni, also known as ''Miran Badshah''.]]
[[File:Calligrapher's Bazaar at Wazir Khan Mosque 6.jpg|thumb|The mosque houses several shops in what is known as the "Calligrapher's Bazaar."]]
Entry into Wazir Khan Mosque is through a large [[Timurid Empire#Timurid architecture|Timurid-style]] ''[[Iwan]]'' over a smaller portal which faces the Wazir Khan Chowk. The ''iwan'' is flanked by two projecting balconies. Above the ''iwan'' is the Arabic [[Shahada|Islamic declaration of faith]] written in intricate tilework. The panels flanking the ''iwan'' contain Persian [[quatrain]]s written by the calligraphist Muhammad Ali, who was a disciple of the Sufi saint [[Mian Mir]].{{sfn|Mumtaz|1992|pp=55–66}} The panel on the right of the ''iwan'' reads: 
{{Blockquote|text=''To all who turn towards the [[Qibla]] in prayer, may this door remain wide open with prosperity till the day of resurrection.''}}

While the panel to the left of the ''iwan'' reads:
{{Blockquote|text=''Tillers! Everything we sow in this world we will reap in the next. Lay a good foundation in this life, for everyone must pass through this gate to Paradise.''}}[[File:Wazir_khan_iwan.jpg|thumb|The mosque's entryway features a large [[iwan]] that leads to the [[Wazir Khan Chowk]], a small town square.]]Entry through the small portal leads into a covered octagonal chamber which lies in the centre of the mosque's "Calligrapher's Bazaar."<ref name="WKM" /> The octagonal chamber lies in the centre of what is the first example of the Central Asian ''charsu bazaar'' concept, or four-axis bazaar, to be introduced into South Asia.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|last1=Salman|first1=Muhammad|title=Documentation and Conservation of Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore Pakistan|url=http://cipa.icomos.org/fileadmin/template/doc/PRAGUE/129.pdf|access-date=25 August 2016|website=Aga Khan Cultural Service}}</ref> Two of the four axes are aligned as the Calligrapher's Bazaar, while the other two align in a straight line from the mosque's entry portal, to the centre of the main prayer hall.<ref name="auto" />

===Courtyard===
[[File:Minaret_of_WK_Mosque.jpg|thumb|Façades facing the mosque's courtyard are embellished with intricate ''kashi-kari'' tile work.]]
Passage through the portal and octagonal chamber leads into the mosque's central courtyard. The courtyard measures approximately 160 feet by 130 feet, and features high arched galleries surrounding a central brick paved courtyard — a typical feature of imperial Persian mosques in [[Iran]].<ref name="WKM" />

The mosque's courtyard contains a pool used for the Islamic ritual washing, [[wudu]] that measures 35 feet by 35 feet. The courtyard features a subterranean crypt which contains the tomb of the 14th century [[Sufi]] saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni, also known by the name ''Miran Badshah''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wazir Khan Mosque|url=https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/mosque_wazir_khan.html|access-date=25 August 2016|agency=Lahore Sites|archive-date=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826133429/https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/mosque_wazir_khan.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The courtyard is flanked on four sides by 32 ''khanas'', or small study cloisters for religious scholars.<ref name="UNESCO" /> The mosque's four 107 foot tall minarets are located in each corner of the courtyard.<ref name="WKM" />

===Main prayer hall===
The mosque's prayer hall lies at the westernmost portion of the site, and is approximately 130 feet long and 42 feet wide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wazir Khan Mosque|url=https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/mosque_wazir_khan.html|website=Sights of Lahore|access-date=26 August 2016|archive-date=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826133429/https://sites.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/mosque_wazir_khan.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is divided into five sections aligned into a single long aisle running north to south, similar to the prayer hall at the older Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum.<ref name="WKM" />

The central section of the prayer hall is topped by a 31 foot tall dome with a diameter of 23 feet resting upon four arches that form a square pavilion — a Persian [[architectural form]] known as a ''Char Taq''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isfahan.org.uk/glossary/4taq/4taq.html|title=Fundamental Concepts: Chahar Taq|website=www.isfahan.org.uk|access-date=26 August 2016|archive-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923201824/http://www.isfahan.org.uk/glossary/4taq/4taq.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The remaining compartment in the prayer hall are topped by a 21 foot tall dome with a diameter of 19 feet,<ref name="UNESCO" /> built in a style similar to that of the earlier Lodi dynasty.<ref name="Haig" /> The northernmost and southernmost compartments also contain small cells which house spiral staircases that lead to the rooftop.<ref name="UNESCO" />

[[File:Wazir Khan Mosque (2).JPG|thumb|The main prayer hall opens to an ablution pool.]]
Walls of the prayer hall's interior are also decorated with [[calligraphy]] in both [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref name="Malik">{{cite book|author1=Iftikhar Haider Malik|title=Culture and Customs of Pakistan|year=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313331268|page=90}}</ref> Each wall is divided further, and contain unique mosaic designs.<ref name="Haig"/> The acoustic properties of the dome allow for the [[Imam|imam's]] sermon to be projected across the mosque's courtyard.

{{wide image|Masjid_Wazir_Khan_01.jpg|1100px|align-cap=center|Panorama of the mosque's courtyard facing towards the mosque's prayer hall.}}

==Conservation==
The mosque complex is listed on the Protected Heritage Monuments of the Archaeology Department of Punjab.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.pk/eia_pdf/f_Crit_%20Areas.pdf|title=Guidelines for Critical & Sensitive Areas|publisher=Government of Pakistan|access-date=6 June 2013|author=Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency|pages=12, 47, 48}}</ref> In 1993 the site was added to UNESCO's tentative list for [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Site status]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Wazir Khan's Mosque, Lahore|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1278/|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> In 2004, the Government of Punjab embarked on conservations and restoration efforts for the mosque.<ref name="pakistantoday.com.pk">{{cite web|last1=Qureshi|first1=Tania|title=Shahi Guzargah" inside the Walled City of Lahore|url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/10/03/features/shahi-guzargah-inside-the-walled-city-of-lahore/|website=Pakistan Today|access-date=26 August 2016|date=3 October 2015}}</ref> In 2007, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture partnered with the Government of Punjab to restore the monument, and in 2009 began a two year long in-depth survey of the mosque as part of a larger effort to restore the Walled City of Lahore.<ref>{{cite book|title="Conservation and Restoration" in Conservation of the Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore: Preliminary Report on Condition and Risk Assessment|date=2012|publisher=Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme|location=Lahore}}</ref> In 2015, the site was mapped in 3D through a partnership between the [[Lahore University of Management Sciences]] and the [[United States Agency for International Development]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Virtual Wazir Khan Mosque tours in a month|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/903234/virtual-wazir-khan-mosque-tours-in-a-month/|access-date=26 August 2016|agency=The Express Tribune|date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

===Restoration===
The mosque has been under extensive restoration since 2009 under the direction of the [[Aga Khan Trust for Culture]] and the [[Government of Punjab, Pakistan|Government of Punjab]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Walled city of Lahore conservation |url=http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south-asia/pakistan/cultural-development/walled-city-lahore-conservation |access-date=25 August 2016 |quote=The Walled city of Lahore is famous for several historic monuments including the Lahore Fort – a World Heritage site, the Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques. Close to 2,000 buildings within the Walled city display a range of architectural features that mark Lahore’s centuries-old cultural landscape. A majority of these buildings and the mohallas (local neighbourhoods) in which they are situated form a unique heritage footprint. The work consequently carried out by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (AKHCP) was initiated under a 2007 public-private partnership framework agreement with the Government of Punjab.}}</ref> with contributions from the governments of [[Germany]], [[Norway]], and the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Muzaffar |first1=Zareen |date=8 February 2016 |title=The Walled City of Lahore: Protecting Heritage and History |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/02/the-walled-city-of-lahore-protecting-heritage-and-history/ |access-date=25 August 2016 |quote=The Walled City of Lahore program was put into effect in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. AKTC supports the Walled City Authority in all technical matters in terms of restoration and conservation work being carried out. Other donors include the World Bank, Royal Norwegian Government, USAID, and the German Embassy. |agency=The Diplomat}}</ref> Restoration works at Wazir Khan Mosque began in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Restoration of Wazir Khan mosque|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/198239/restoration-of-wazir-khan-mosque|access-date=26 August 2016|agency=Dawn|date=23 June 2006}}</ref>

In 2012, the ''Pilot Urban Conservation and Infrastructure Improvement Project—the Shahi Guzargah Project'' was launched by the Government of Punjab and the Aga Khan Trust for culture which restored a section of ''Shahi Guzargah'' between the mosque and Delhi Gate.<ref name="pakistantoday.com.pk"/> The project was completed in 2015 with support from the governments of Norway and the United States of America.<ref>{{cite news|title=WCLA completed many projects in 2015|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/86150-WCLA-completed-many-projects-in-2015|access-date=26 August 2016|agency=The News|date=4 January 2016}}</ref>

Prior to completion of the project's first phase, the vicinity around the Wazir Khan mosque had been encroached upon by illegally erected shops which blocked off much of the mosque from the surrounding neighbourhood. Tangled power lines further spoiled views of the mosque, and the Wazir Khan Chowk had been badly neglected and had shrunk in size due to illegally constructed shops. The first phase of the project removed illegally constructed shops, restoring views of the mosque. Wazir Khan Chowk was extensively rehabilitated by removal of encroachments, while the [[Well of Dina Nath|well of ''Dina Nath'']] was restored. Power lines along the project corridor were also placed underground, and the Chitta Gate at the eastern entrance to Wazir Khan Chowk was rehabilitated.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Raza|first1=Ali|title=Conservation of Wazir Khan Masjid begins|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/122188-Conservation-of-Wazir-Khan-Masjid-begins|access-date=26 August 2016|agency=The News|date=24 May 2016}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Wazir Khan Mosque, Interior Fresco, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.jpg|The mosque features one of the earliest muqarnas in South Asia.
File:Internal Elevation - Courtyard of Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore.jpg|A view of the main prayer chamber
File:Lahore 052 copy.jpg|The mosque's dome is decorated with tile work.
File:Interior of Wazir Khan Mosque.jpg|Richly embellished muqarna
File:Domes of Wazir Khan Mosque.JPG|The mosque features short ''Lodi''-style domes.
File:Wazeer Khan Mosque, Lahore.jpg|Interior surface embellishments
File:Pulpit of Wazir Khan Mosque description.jpg|The mosque's pulpit dates from the colonial era
File:Pulpit of Wazir Khan Mosque.jpg|The mosque's pulpit
File:Wazir Khan Mosque in 1895.jpg|Wazir Khan Mosque in 1895.
File:Masjid Wazeer Khan, Lahore.jpg|The mosque's courtyard
File:Masjid wazir khan dehli gate lahore.jpg|A view of the mosque through an archway
File:A fountain for ablution inside Wazir Khan Mosque's courtyard.jpg|The courtyard ablution pool features a small fountain.
File:16 Wazir Khan Mosque.jpg|The mosque after a rainstorm
File:Masjid Wazir Khan 7.JPG|The entrance to the main prayer hall has two small towers.
File:Wazir Khan Mosque DSC 0778.jpg|Decorative tile panels on the mosque's exterior
File:Arabic Calligraphy at Wazir Khan Mosque.jpg|Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile.
File:Arabic Calligraphy at Wazir Khan Mosque2.jpg|Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile.
File:Arabic Calligraphy3.jpg|Arabic calligraphy on glazed tile: "God is aplenty".
File:Tile art at Wazir khan Mosque.jpg|Fresco in prayer chamber.
File:Wazir khan mosque, tile art1.jpg|Fresco in prayer chamber.
File:June21 2004-Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore1.jpeg|Plaque at Wazir Khan Mosque.
File:Courtyard of Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore.jpg
File:Wazir Khan Mosque at night.jpg|The mosque, illuminated at night.
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of mosques in Pakistan]]
* [[Badshahi Mosque]]
* [[Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta|Shah Jahan Mosque]]
* [[Mosques of Lahore]]
* [[Islamic Architecture]]
* [[Mughal architecture]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Notelist}}

== Notes ==
*{{cite book|title=Architecture of Mughal India|first=Catherine Blanshard|last=Asher|date=24 September 1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ctLNvx68hIC&q=wazir+khan+mosque|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=9780521267281}}
*{{cite book|title=The City in the Muslim World: Depictions by Western Travel Writers|first=Mohammad|last=Gharipour|date=5 March 2015|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aw3wBgAAQBAJ&q=wazir+khan+mosque|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317548225}}
*{{cite book|title=Mughal Gardens: Sources, Places, Representations, and Prospects|first=James L.|last=Wescoat|year=1996|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=96ec98LieGsC&q=wazir+khan+mosque|publisher=Dumbarton Oaks|isbn=9780884022350}}
*{{cite book|title=The Cambridge History of India|first=Wolseley|last=Haig|year=1928|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoI8AAAAIAAJ&q=wazir+khan+mosque|publisher=CUP Archive}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Mumtaz |first=Kamil Khan |author-link=Kamil Khan Mumtaz |date= 1992 |title=Reading Masjid Wazir Khan |url= |journal=Lahore Museum Bulletin |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=55–66 |editor=Dar, Saifur Rahman}} Read online at [https://www.scribd.com/document/113950166/reading-wazir-khan-mosque Scribd] and [http://islamic-arts.org/2011/reading-masjid-wazir-khan/ Islamic arts.org], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622160943/http://islamic-arts.org/2011/reading-masjid-wazir-khan/ |date=22 June 2016 }}

==Further reading==
* [http://eprints.hec.gov.pk/2027/1/1946.htm Floral Decorations in Mughal Buildings ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226184026/http://eprints.hec.gov.pk/2027/1/1946.htm |date=26 February 2011 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor Lahore Photos and History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527043220/https://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor |date=27 May 2016 }}

{{Walled City of Lahore|state=open}}
{{Mosques in Pakistan}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan |state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mosques completed in the 1640s]]
[[Category:Mosques in Lahore]]
[[Category:Mughal mosques]]
[[Category:Walled City of Lahore]]
[[Category:1642 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Ravi Zone]]
[[Category:17th-century mosques in Asia]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Sunni mosques in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Sufi shrines in Pakistan]]