AnonyMo at 14:11, 18 February 2026

2026-02-18T14:11:10Z

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{{Short description|Mosque in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox religious building
| building_name = Muhafiz Khan's Mosque
| infobox_width =
| image = Muhafiz Khan Mosque Ahmedabhad 1855.jpg
| caption = Muhafiz Khan's Mosque, 1855
| image_upright = 1.4
| alt =
| map_type = India Ahmedabad
| map_size = 250
| map_caption = Location in [[Ahmedabad]]
| location = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat]]
| coordinates = {{coord|23.0177778|72.5891667|region:IN-GR|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
| rite =
| region =
| state =
| province =
| territory =
| prefecture =
| sector =
| district =
| cercle =
| municipality =
| consecration_year =
| status = [[Mosque]]
| functional_status = Active{{clarify|date=January 2025|reason=Is it used for worship; or is it preserved as an historic site?}}
| leadership =
| website =
| architect =
| architecture_type = {{nowrap|[[Mosque architecture]]}}
| architecture_style = {{ubl|[[Indo-Islamic architecture|Indo-Islamic]]|[[Mughal architecture]]}}
| founded_by = Jamal-ud-din Muhafiz Khan
| funded_by =
| general_contractor =
| facade_direction =
| groundbreaking =
| year_completed = 1465
| construction_cost =
| specifications =
| capacity =
| length = {{cvt|51|ft|m|order=flip}}
| width = {{cvt|36|ft|m|order=flip}}
| width_nave =
| height_max =
| dome_quantity =
| dome_height_outer =
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| dome_dia_outer =
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| minaret_quantity = Two
| minaret_height = {{cvt|50|ft|m|order=flip}}
| spire_quantity =
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| materials =
| module = {{Infobox historic site
| embed = yes
| designation1 = MANI | designation1_offname = Muhafiz Khan Mosque | designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = | delisted1_date = | designation1_partof = | designation1_number = N-GJ-26 | designation1_free1name = | designation1_free1value = | designation1_free2name = | designation1_free2value = | designation1_free3name = | designation1_free3value = }}
| heritage_designation =
}}

The '''Muhafiz Khan Mosque''' is a fifteenth-century [[mosque]] located in the city of [[Ahmedabad]] in the state of [[Gujarat]], [[India]]. It is considered to be one of the more exceptional structures in the city.<ref name="Prakash 2004">{{cite book |last=Prakash |first=Om |title=Cultural History Of India |year=2004 |publisher=New Age International |isbn=978-8122415872 |page=196}}</ref> The mosque was constructed in 1465 by Jamail-ud-Din Muhafiz Khan during the [[Mughal Empire|reign]] of [[Mahmud Begada|Mahmud Shah I]] (1458–1511), and is considered to be an excellent example of [[Gujarat Sultanat architecture]].<ref name="TI 2006"/> It is named for the governor of the region at that time.

The mosque is a protected building, listed as a [[Monuments of National Importance (India)|Monument of National Importance]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_gujarat.asp|title=List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of Gujarat |work=[[Archaeological Survey of India]] |date= |access-date=2016-11-18}}</ref>

== Architecture ==

[[File:Moohafiz Khan's Mosque, Ahmedabad (c. 1880).jpg|thumb|The mosque in {{circa|1880}}]]
The [[façade]] of the mosque has three arched entrances and a richly carved [[minaret]] at either end. The design has similarities with the [[Isanpur Mosque]] and introduced a new architectural style to Ahmedabad.<ref name="Places">{{cite web |title=Visiting Places |url=http://www.kv2ahmedabad.org/innerpage.php?pagename=visitingplaces |work=Kendriya Vidyalaya - Ahmedabad Cantt |publisher=Government Of India}}</ref><ref name="The British Library Board">{{cite web |title=North-east corner of Muhafiz Khan's Mosque, showing sculptural detail at base of minaret, and side arch, Ahmadabad 1720 |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/n/019pho001000s16u01720000.html |publisher=[[British Library|The British Library Board]] }}</ref> It measures {{Convert|51|by|36|ft|m|order=flip}}. The minarets stand {{Convert|50|ft|m|order=flip}} high.<ref name="Caine 1890">{{cite book |last=Caine |first=W. S. |title=Picturesque India |url=https://archive.org/details/picturesqueindi00caingoog |year=1890 |publisher=Routledge |page=[https://archive.org/details/picturesqueindi00caingoog/page/n103 52]}}</ref> Alexander Forbes had replicas of the mosque made from wood and returned to England {{circa|1880|1885}}, and they are now part of the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] permanent collection in London.<ref name="Yagnik">{{cite book |last=Yagnik |first=Achyut |title=Ahmedabad: From Royal city to Megacity |year=2011 |publisher=Penguin |asin=B008RY1MJY |author2=Sheth, Suchitra }}</ref><ref name=gg>{{cite book|title=Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Ahmedabad|url=https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.3354|quote=dastur khan mosque.|year=1879|publisher=Government Central Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.3354/page/n285 279]}}</ref>

During the [[2002 Gujarat violence|communal violence in 2002]], the mosque was extensively damaged. Afzal Khan said that rioters damaged intricate carvings on the southern elevations of the building and that the damage to be irreparable.<ref name="Engineer 2003">{{cite book |title=The Gujarat Carnage |year=2003 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-8125024965 |page=389}}</ref> This damage has caused upset among India's [[Islam in India|Muslim]] population.{{cn|date=January 2025}} The restoration of shrines and mosques was debated extensively in [[Parliament of India|parliament]].<ref name="TNN 2002">{{cite news |title=Demolished shrines issue to come up in Parliament |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-07-12/ahmedabad/27323009_1_ncm-member-muhafiz-khan-masjid-gujarat-chand-committee |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703020007/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-07-12/ahmedabad/27323009_1_ncm-member-muhafiz-khan-masjid-gujarat-chand-committee |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=23 July 2002}}</ref> The [[Indian History Congress]](IHC) requested that the Archaeological Survey of India restore and rebuild all religious structures. Ramakrishna Chatterjee, stated to the IHC that the mosques of Muhafiz Khan, the tomb of [[Wali Mohammed Wali]], and the Mosque of Malik Asin were damaged or destroyed.<ref name="Correspondent 2002">{{cite news |title=ASI urged to rebuild monuments |url=http://hindu.com/2002/03/22/stories/2002032200380800.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703015803/http://hindu.com/2002/03/22/stories/2002032200380800.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=21 March 2002}}</ref> By 2006 restoration work was completed and the mosque reopened to the public.<ref name="TI 2006">{{cite news |title=ASI to restore monuments damaged in Gujarat riots |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-03-06/india/27827420_1_gujarat-riots-monuments-asi |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130703015956/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-03-06/india/27827420_1_gujarat-riots-monuments-asi|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 July 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=6 March 2006}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Near view Muhafiz Khan's Mosque Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|Near view, 1866
Northern Minaret Muhafiz Khan Mosque Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|North minaret, 1866
Niche South Minaret Muhafiz Khan Mosque Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|Niche of the southern minaret, 1866
Muhafiz Khan's Mosque Minaret 1866 Ahmedabad.jpg|Summit of a minaret, 1866
Base South Minaret Muhafiz Khan Mosque 1866 Ahmedabad.jpg|Niche in centre of the base of southern minaret, 1866
Muhafiz Khan Mosque Ahmedabad 1866 distance.jpg|Mosque from distance, 1866
Minaret Base Muhafiz Khan Mosque Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|Niche of the lower part of the southern minaret, 1866
Base South Minaret Muhafiz Khan mosque Ahmedabad 1866.jpg|Base of south minaret, 1866
Muhafiz Khan Mosque.jpg|Street scene with the mosque, 2012
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{stack|{{portal|India|Islam}}}}
* [[Islam in India]]
* [[List of mosques in India]]
* [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Ahmedabad district]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |author=Burgess, James |title=The Muhammadan Architecture of Ahmadabad. Part I - A.D. 1412 to 1520 |pages=78–81 |series=Archaeological Survey of Western India |volume=7 |location=London |publisher=William Griggs & Sons |year=1900 |isbn= }}

== External links ==
{{commons category-inline}}

{{Mosques in India}}

[[Category:15th-century mosques in India]]
[[Category:Gujarat Sultanate mosques]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Gujarat]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in India]]
[[Category:Mosques completed in the 1460s]]
[[Category:Mosques in Ahmedabad]]
[[Category:Mughal mosques]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1465]]

Muhafiz Khan Mosque - Revision history

AnonyMo at 14:11, 18 February 2026