Visiting some Mosques in the World

Islam is a great religion and like the temple for Hindus and the Church for Christians a mosque is a place of worship for all Moslems. The Arabic name for Mosque is Masjid and this is commonly used all over the world. The mosque is the place to pray, but its importance for Moslems cannot be underestimated as a centre of Moslem thought. Most Mosques demonstrate stupendous architecture that brings out the beauty of these places of worship. There are hundreds of Mosques around the world, but I have chosen those that I have visitedBa Baddshahi Mosque, Lahore Lahore is the cultural capital of Pakistan and houses one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. This mosque is an excellent exhibition of Moslem architecture and its inherent beauty. It was built in the seventeenth century by that great Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The mosque was thrown open to worshippers in 1673. It has the world’s largest courtyard for prayers’ and 100,000 worshippers can offer prayers here. The Mosque itself can accommodate 10,000 devotees.The mosque was also looked after by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh during his rule in the Punjab. Blue Mosque, Istanbul. Istanbul as we all know is a beautiful place. Sitting astride the straits of Bosphorus it joins Europe and Asia. A visit to Istanbul is never complete for a tourist without seeing the blue mosque. This mosque has a hoary past and was erected in 1616 by Sultan Ahmed, the ruler of turkey at the young age of 19. The distinctiveness of the mosque lies in 20,000 man made ceramic blue tiles that adorn the interior of the mosque giving it a blue hue.The mosque has distinct lamps covered with pure gold and gems and 10,000 believers can assemble here for prayers. Sultan Ahmed died after the mosque was completed and he is buried outside the Mosque. Tipu Sultan Mosque, Calcutta. One may wonder how this mosque situated in Dhartamtalla Street in Calcutta can have a name associated with Sultan Tipu who was from Mysore. The fact is that the mosque was built by the youngest son of Tipu Sultan in 1832.It is a beautiful mosque has 16 domes and 4 minarets.  The mosque is an excellent example of Mughal architecture. It is a building that can house 1000 believers for prayers. The mosque is a heritage site and is looked after by the "Tipu Sultan Shahi Masjid Protection and Welfare Committee".   Al Azhar Mosque, Cairo. No hvisit to Cairo is complete without visiting the Sphinx and the Al-Azhar mosque. It is one of the biggest mosques in the world and also houses the oldest