| Ek Minar Mosque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Raichur, Karnataka |
| Country | India |
| Geographic coordinates | 16°12′12″N 77°21′10″E / 16.203295°N 77.3526662°E |
| Specifications | |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Minaret height | 65 feet (20 m) |
Ek Minar Mosque, or Ek Minar Masjid is a mosque located in Raichur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is listed as a state protected monument.
History
According to the Persian inscription on its threshold, it was commissioned by one 'Ambar in 919 Hijri (corresponding to 1513-1514 CE) during the reign of Mahmud Shah Bahmani.[1]
Etymology
The mosque is called Ek Minar Masjid (lit. one-minaret mosque) or Ek Minar Ki Masjid (lit. mosque of one minaret) due to the fact that it has only one minaret. In Indo-Islamic architecture, stand-alone minarets, such as the Qutb Minar and Chand Minar would typically serve as victory towers, while minarets attached to mosques would be multiplied symmetrically for aesthetic reasons. The stand-alone minaret of this mosque is an exception to this rule.[2]
Description
There is a courtyard in front of the mosque, and two graves are situated here. At their head is a water cistern. The mosque is entered from the south, with the roof of the entrance being supported on eight Chalukyan pillars.[1]
The prayer hall is rectangular, measuring about 40 feet by 30 feet. It has a flat ceiling, and a battlement parapet rises above the roof. The western wall is decorated with verses from the Quran as well as hadith, inscribed in stone slabs.[1]
Minaret
The minaret, for which the mosque is named, is the principal architectural characteristic. It is situated just above the entrance in the south-eastern corner of the courtyard. It rises to a height of about 65 feet and has a diameter of about 13 feet. The minaret is built in a Persian style, very similar to the Chand Minar, as well as the minarets of the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, both of which are earlier Bahmani constructions.[1]
It consists of two stories, each being provided with windows to let in light and air, and each having galleries girded with stone balustrades. A winding staircase within leads up to the top story of the minaret. The minaret gradually tapers from bottom to top, and is surmounted by a typical Bahmani rounded dome, adorned with floral decorations at the bottom. The dome is topped by a pinnacle with a crescent.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Yazdani, Ghulam (1933). Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions (PDF). Baptist Mission Press. pp. 13–14.
- ↑ Burton-Page, John (2008). Michell, George (ed.). Indian Islamic Architecture: Forms and Typologies, Sites and Monuments. p. 51.