Moti Masjid was built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb at the Red Fort complex in Delhi. When translated in English, the name Moti Masjid meant the Pearl Mosque, which was because of its construction with white marble that gave the mosque an appearance of a white sparkling pearl. It is a very famous mosque which attracts a lot of tourists annually.
The mosque has been erected near the `Court for Common People` or the `Diwan-E-Aam` in the Agra Fort. Moti Masjid lies on the bank of the Yamuna River and is regarded as a religious and architectural relic of India. It has a popular religious place for worship for the royal members of the court belonging from the Mughal Dynasty.
History of Moti Masjid
Moti Masjid is located in Delhi in the premises of the Agra Fort. It is situated to the west of the Hammam and close to the Diwan-e-Khas. The mosque was constructed from 1659 to 1660 AD for his second wife Nawab Bai. There is another small mosque by the same name built for private prayer by Bahadur Shah I, Aurangzeb"s son and is located close to the Ajmere Gate of the Dargah of Sufi saint, Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli. This mosque has a close resemblance to the one inside the Red Fort.
Architecture of Moti Masjid
Moti Masjid is regarded as a religious and architectural historical object of India. The architectural style of the mosque and its design belongs to the Mughal era. The prayer hall of the Moti Masjid lies on the western side. This Masjid has been beautifully designed which is supported by 12 magnificent pillars. It is crowned by threee attractive domes, originally copper plated. There is a wall that is lined with a sequence of domed cabins. These have been designed according to Hindu architectural pattern.
The mosque has been divided into several aisles by the 7 walkways. These walkways are supported by the piers and overhead arches. The chief platform of the mosque has been raised by 4 steps which is a contrast to other mosques as they are levelled over three steps. The mosque also has a separate prayer hall for the women that have been built on either sides of the main prayer hall. These prayer halls have been adorned with marbled lattice worked screens. The main prayer hall of the mosque has outlines of musallas i.e. small carpets for prayers in black marble.
Visiting Information of Moti Masjid
Moti Masjid is well connected with the other parts of the country. Regular buses run between Delhi to other places of the country. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the nearest airport to Moti Masjid at a distance of 21 km, while the Delhi station is the closest at a distance of about 4 km from the mosque.
