Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra

Common card · No. 346087

The Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (Hindustani for "shed of 2½ days") is a historical former mosque in the city of Ajmer, in Rajasthan, India. It is one of the oldest mosques in India, and the oldest surviving monument in Ajmer. Commissioned by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak in 1192 CE and designed by Abu Bakr of Herat, the mosque is an example of early Indo-Islamic architecture. Some of the materials used for the original construction have come from destroyed Hindu and Jain temples. The structure was completed in 1199 CE and was further enhanced by Iltutmish of Delhi in 1213 CE. Most of the building was constructed by Hindu masons under the supervision of Afghan managers. The mosque retained most of the original Hindu and Jain features, especially on the ornate pillars, with only the effigies of Hindu Gods and Goddesses removed neatly. The structure was used as a mosque up to 1947. After the independence of India, the structure was turned over to the Jaipur circle of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Varun Shiv Kapur from New Delhi, India, CC BY 2.0