Ek Minar Mosque, Raichur

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.

Ek Minar Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
LocationRaichur, Karnataka
CountryIndia
Geographic coordinates16°12′12″N 77°21′10″E / 16.203295°N 77.3526662°E / 16.203295; 77.3526662
Specifications
Minaret(s)1
Minaret height65 feet (20 m)
Ek Minar Mosque, c. 1933

History

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d e Yazdani, Ghulam (1933). Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions (PDF). Baptist Mission Press. pp. 13–14.
  2. ^ Burton-Page, John (2008). Michell, George (ed.). Indian Islamic Architecture: Forms and Typologies, Sites and Monuments. p. 51.
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