Begumpuri Masjid Jahanpanah, Delhi

Located near Aurobindo Ashram on Sri Aurobindo road in Begampur near Delhi, Begampuri Masjid is one of the largest mosques in the city. It was built by Khan-i-Jahan, the son of Firuz shah’s Prime minister Muqbal Khan in the 12th century. The mosque today stands to remind us of the famous Begampur. It once served as an administrative center, a place of worship and a madrasa. Now only a handful of people know about this mosque.

Begumpuri Masjid was built with grey quartzite and mortar, which were then covered with lime plaster. The courtyard is surrounded by arched pergolas, which are topped by a series of domes. Walk around these arcades to soak in the very essence of this mosque. The corridors are cut with gates on all directions except west. You will find Tughlaq style architecture in the domes and the prayer hall.

The walls of the Masjid are very huge. Some of them have rooms, which were used to store weapons and other war equipment. You can see tapering minarets on either side of the mosque. The core of the courtyard resembles Jaunpur mosques and is the only example of this type in Delhi. The mosque was so big that it accommodated the entire Begampuri village during the chaotic years of British rule in India.