The Masjid Mohabbat Khan was renamed just after the Mughal ruler of Peshawar, Nawab Mohabbat Khan Kamboh, the father of Nawab Khairandesh Khan Kamboh, who built it in 1630. The white marble façade of the mosque is Peshawar’s most recognizable landmark. It is the best Mughal architectural marvel and a popular tourist destination.
It was built during Emperor Shahjahan’s rule in 1670 AD. Depending to some histories; the King utilized the lofty minarets of the Mahabat Khan Mosque as a substitute for scaffolding to hang convicts. The Mosque, which is sometimes mispronounced as ‘Mohabbat Khan,’ is without a doubt one of Peshawar’s most popular tourist sites.
Around 14 million individuals can pray at any given time within this renowned mosque and its neighboring courtyard. The mosque is open to visitors each day from sunrise to sunset, except during prayer times, particularly on Friday afternoons. As an alternative to the hangman’s tree, five people were strung from the minarets each day.
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Masjid Mohabbat Khan Location
The Mahabat Khan Mosque, also known as the Mohabbat Khan Masjid, is a Mughal-style mosque from the 17th century in Peshawar, Pakistan. Andar Shehr Mohallah Baqir Shah, 2H6F+67W, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
History
The Mughals built the mosque on the highest point in the old city between 1660 and 1670. The mosque was named after Mirza Lerharsib, who governed Peshawar twice, first under Shah Jahan and once under Aurangzeb.
In Sikh times, the Mohabbat Khan Mosque’s minarets were commonly used for hanging convicts. As an alternative to the gallows, five people were hanging from the minarets each day.
With the Soviet Afghanistan invasion, refugee tribal elders gathered at the mosque to forge Afghan solidarity against the Soviets. The spotless white Mahabat Khan Mosque, named for Nawab Mahabat Khan, the Mughal governor of Peshawar, is a beautiful reminder of the Mughal Empire’s magnificence. He served during the period of emperor Shah Jahan and his son, Emperor Aurangzeb, and erected it in the 17th century.
Structure and design
Mahabat Khan Masjid is one of Peshawar’s buried treasures, along with many other heritage monuments. It’s a stunning example of history and architecture. The west side is used by the prayer hall. Two tall minarets, separated into three pieces, surround the hall. The prayer hall’s façade is additionally topped by tiny decorative minarets that surround the mosque’s five arched entryways, with two more minarets surrounding the set of six. Numerous merlons adorn the rooftop. Cavettos, or concave molding, crown the mosque’s white marble façade.
Three fluted domes top the prayer hall. The roofline rises in four tiny increments from the outer margins to the center. Three fluted domes top the prayer hall. Archways leading into the masjid are similarly flanked by multi-colored vegetable designs along their top curves, as opposed to the green patterns of the Badshahi Mosque. The prayer hall’s interior is beautifully adorned with geometric and floral themes and is shielded beneath three low-fluted domes.
In addition, a serene blue-tiled ablution pond lies in the center of the side yard, bordered from either side by a row of chambers and a central prayer room on the west side. There are gold and silversmith shops. The Masjid is a Mughal architectural masterpiece. Its entrance is tiny but huge, leading to a wide prayer courtyard. Inside, the great hall is opulently ornamented with floral work and typography.
Under construction
Due to technological issues, the historic Masjid Mahabat Khan rehabilitation project has been significantly behind schedule even three years after it began.
An official from the Archeology Agency told The Express Tribune that the mosque’s dome was seriously damaged and dislocated during the earthquake, and it could not be reconstructed despite the department’s efforts. He noted that the initiative was experiencing technical difficulties.
“There are further challenges in restoring the mosque. So far, three contractors have left, and a fourth has been scheduled.
It is worth noting that the Auqaf Department completed the mosque’s repair in 2015, and the government paid Rs80.70 million to the project in 2018 and turned it over to the Archeology Department. The K-P government has already committed Rs50 million for rehabilitation in the 2014-15 budget.
Insiders familiar with the situation told The Express Tribune that the October 26 earthquake destroyed one of the mosque’s minarets.
How to reach there
Go to the Ancient Bazaar in Peshawar’s old city, and people would gladly show you around. Then follow the Kachahry Road to Chowk Yadgar, walk west into the Bazaar to the Mosque by parking your car, which is positioned at the street’s highest point.
