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Asia
Wazir Khan Mosque
Lahore, Pakistan
The pearl of Lahore and the most richly decorated of Mughal mosques: turquoise, blue and orange faience tiles cover every wall inside and out, with Quranic verses in raised Persian calligraphy and a wide courtyard with a historic ablution pool.
Story & history
It was built by Hakim Ala al-Din "Wazir Khan", physician to Shah Jahan and later governor of Punjab, who summoned craftsmen from Persia and Kandahar and made the mosque an encyclopaedia of Mughal art — a raised-calligraphy mihrab and glazed tile ceilings — attaching a bazaar, hammam and madrasa so it formed a complete quarter of religious life in Lahore.
Getting there
Pin the site on the map or head straight there with your maps app; opening hours and access vary by season.
Quick facts
- Tile mosaics cover walls and minarets alike
- Built over the shrine of the Sufi Miran Badshah
- Old hammams and a bazaar stand beside it
Visiting tip
Its interior is a photographer's dream; mornings are best before the adjacent bazaar fills.