Lat Ki Masjid was built by Feroz Shah Tughluq (1351-88 AD), is a unique example of Tughlaq architecture. Located at Hissar in the state of Haryana, the Lat Ki Masjid is a famous place for Muslims. It was build by Feroz Shah Tughluq and stands as a unique illustration of Tughluq architecture. Feroz Shah Tughluq is the founder of Hissar town. The mosque is one of the structures inside the Feroz Shah Palace Complex. On the South-East end of the complex is the Lat Ki Masjid. Unlike other structures inside the complex, the mosque was built using Seljuk architecture. The mosque is built in an L-shape, which is very rarely found in mosques of India. The mosque is a combination of buildings. The mosque is a popular tourist attraction and is conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India. A large number of devotees come here to offer prayers.
Structures
It is a small one-domed mosque carved in red sandstone. An L-shaped ablution tank and a `Lat` (Pillar) are attached to form the mosque. The mosque is divided into 3 parts: the central dome, the pillar and the prayer hall. It is partly build up of red and buff sandstone and partly of rubble masonry having thick plaster. There are stone pillars exhibiting floral and geometrical designs. Those have been extricated from destroyed Hindu temples. These support the main arched openings.
There are 9 bays on the main prayer hall. These consist of arches supported on pillars. The west wall consists of a carved `qibla` and a `pulpit`. Within the courtyard in the northeast, there is a `Lat` (pillar) after which the mosque is named. The Lat, made of sandstone, is a part of an Ashokan pillar. A few letters in Mauryan Brahmi appears at the top. In the lower portion some names of a few individuals have been scratched at a subsequent date. Close to the mosque lies a mound which is believed to house the ruins of probably the Harappan civilization.
How to Reach Lat Ki Masjid
The nearest railhead is Hissar Railway Station, a major junction of the North Western Railways. The nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport (161 km). Hissar has a well-developed road network.
