Moti
Masjid, one of the Pearl Mosques, is a 17th century religious building located inside the Lahore Fort, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
It is a small, white marble structure
built by Mughal emperor Jahangir and modified by the architects of Shah Jahan, and
is among his prominent extensions to the Lahore Fort Complex. The mosque is located on the western side of Lahore Fort, closer
to Alamgiri Gate, the main
entrance.
The structure,
located in the northwestern corner of Dewan-e-Aam quadrangle, is typical of Mughal architecture of Shah Jahan's times. It is completely
built of white marble that was brought from MakranaThe façade is composed of cusped arches and engaged baluster columns with
smooth and fine contours. The mosque has three superimposed domes, two aisles
of five bays, and a slightly raised central pishtaq, or portal with
a rectangular frame. This
five arched facade distinguishes
it from other mosques of the similar class with three arched facades. The
interior is simple and plain with the exception of ceilings that are decorated
and designed in four different orders, two arcuate, and two trabeated. The
building was later revived to its former status, and the religious relics were
conserved at the nearby Badshahi Mosque.
