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    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

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      Bhopal :The city with the largest mosque of India and the smallest mosque in the world

      inMedieval Indian History
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      As the Mughal Empire started disintegrating after the death of Aurangzeb, many local chiefs and governors declared independence. Many others finding the empire weakened, siezed land and carved an empire for themselves. One of these was an Afghan soldier named Dost Mohammad Khan who captured the Gond kingdom of Jagishpur and established his hold over it. His new capital near the present day Bhopal was called Islampur and he set about fortifying it. The foundation of a fort named Fatehgarh was laid in 1723 on the northern bank of the Upper lake.
      The construction of Fatehgarh began in 1716 and Dost Mohammad Khan named it after his wife Fateh Bibi. It is said that the idea of this fort was conceived by both of them during a shikar expedition and Dost Mohammad selected the site on that very moonlit night. Remains of the fortification wall can be seen from the mosque. Despite fierce attacks by outside and inside enemies, Bhopal state managed to hold its own even after Dost Mohammed and became famous as Bhopal State which had the distinction of a hundred year rule by female Nawabs.
      Though Bhopal is no longer a state it still has the disctinction of being he only city in India to host the biggest mosque of Inida and the smallest mosque in the world!
      The Dhai Seedhi ki Masjid or Mosque of Two and a Half Steps is one of the cities highest points and it offers a commanding view of the city.
      Whn the construction of Fatehgarh fort was begun by Dost Mohammad Khan a makeshift mosque was built for the guards to pray in and it has stayed intact till today, albiet with many recent additions have been made to it to increase capacity.
      The bastion itself stands strong and resolute as during the days when it must have withstood enemy attacks. The holes in the turret walls of the tiny mosque were built for positioning guns are a constant reminder of the danger under which the soldiers must have prayed while others guarded them and the Fort. I hope today it serves as a reminder to the faithful to fight the enemy within ourselves, which is far more harmful than any outside.
      Daniel McCrohan of Lonely Planet paced the floor and estimates its interior dimensions to be 16 metres square, smaller than another “world’s smallest mosque” of 25 metres square in built in 2002 at Naberezhnye Chelny, in honour of those who fought Ivan the Terrible.
      The mosque is plain inside , the two and half steps leading to the prayer hall is distinctive and gives the monument its name.
      The corresponding bastion on the other side of the wall has a water tank on it. Fatehgarh itself no longer exists except for its walls. It was replaced by a medical college instead
      The construction of Taj-ul-Masajid ( the Crown of Mosques) was started by Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum (1868-1901) in the 19th century and continued by her daughter Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum. Due to paucity of funds it remained incomplete and construction was recontinued in 1971 due to the efforts of two Muslim clerics Maulana Syed Hashmat Ali and Allama Mohammad Iqbal Khan Nadwi Azhari and completed in 1985.
      Most people make the mistake of thinking that Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque of the country but in fact it is the Taj-ul-Masajid with an area of 430,000 square feet and seating capacity of 175,000 people.
      A flight of steps lead to a lofty gateway which is very clearly inspired by Fatehpur Sikri’s Buland Darwaza.
      Like Delhi’s Jama Masjid it is built of red sandstone, with two lofty 206 feet high octagonal minarets soaring from each end and crowned by three beautiful marble domes. As in all mosques this too has a huge tank for ablution before prayers and a huge courtyard to take on the overspill of the faithful during congregational prayers.
      Eleven beautiful mehrabs with one central one set in the western wall of the mosque inside the main hall denote the direction of Qibla for the prayers.
      A madarsa runs here during the day so when I visited it I found many young children in their kurta pyjamas and topis running around the courtyard trying to reach their classes in time.
      It is situated on the side of Motia talab and the water body next to the mosque adds to its out of this world charm.
      I saw the mosque reflecting serenely in the talab from the Taj Mahal [a palace complex] built by Nawab Shah Jahan Begum from 1871- 1884, just across it and it inspired a sense of piety and devotion as I’m sure it was meant to.

      alt=”” width=”3072″ height=”3072″ class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-7660″>

      Photos by Rahul Jain and Pradeep

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.