Masjid Wazir Khan Lahore, built by Hakim Ilm-ud-din. Wazir Khan mosque Pakistan.

Wazir Khan mosque, Pakistan: Walking Through the Stories of Old Lahore.

When the initial rays of morning fall on the painted domes of the Wazir Khan Mosque, in some tiny street in the Walled City of Lahore, time stands still.

Some people refer to the Wazir Khan mosque as “Lahore Ke Rukhsaar Ka Til”, simply meaning, a beauty feature of one's face, specially on his/her cheek.

Wazir khan Masjid, in the Walled City of Lahore, is one of the famous mosque in Pakistan; Masjid Wazir Khan is located in Dabbi Bazar, Lahore, Pakistan.

This is the history of this mosque, not merely of its stones and domes, but of the life about it, of its voices, of the minute details which give it a living, breathing quality.

Masjid Wazir Khan Lahore, built by Hakim Ilm-ud-din

Hakim Ilm-ud-din layed the foundation of the Wazir Khan mosque after he was appointed Governor of Lahore, Punjab. He named the mosque after his laqab (title) Wazir Khan.

Hakim Ilm-ud-din Ansari was a physician to the Mughal emperor Jahangir, and later served his son, Emperor Shah Jahan.

Ilm-ud-din got the title of “Wazir Khan” from Mughal emperor Jahangir.

Wazir Khan Mosque construction started in the year 1634-35 and was completed in 03 December 1641. Under the reign of Shah Jahan on the orders of Wazir Khan.

Dargah Sharif (shrine) of Miran Badshah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه

It was not a vacant place: already there was a shrine to Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni or, as he’s more commonly known, Miran Badshah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه a Sufi saint whose Dargah sharif is within the court of the mosque.

Around the mosque, Wazir Khan constructed stores of bookbinders, calligraphers, and merchants. The income of such was donations (waqf) to maintain the mosque.

Wazir khan mosque architecture

The Beauty: Tiles, Frescoes, and Whispered Verses

One enters the mosque through its huge gate, which is beautifully ornate, and has hadith mubarak on top of it (according to one account), while verses from the Holy Qur’an are also inscribed on the pishtaq (main iwan/entrance arch).

Enter the great iwan (entry arch), and the outside presents to your gaze Persian tile, kashi-kari, bright blues, whites, greens, rich designs, flowery vines, and stars.

The arches contain calligraphy quoting verses of the holy Quran, and some were also new verses added by calligraphers like Haji Yousaf Kashmiri.

Internal walls and ceilings are frescoed.

There are demonstrations like, flowers, pitcher, geometrical forms and leafs and patterns, all in various bright colours.

These murals are intimate in some way; the dust accumulates in their corners, the colours have been worn away here and there, but the spirit is there.

As you step inside, a grand dome with three doorways comes into view. The sheer height and size of the dome overwhelm you with awe.

Moving ahead, you pass beneath the grand entry dome and step into the spacious common courtyard of the Wazir Khan Mosque.

In the courtyard one can find wuzu khana (ablution place) in the centre, and beyond it stands the main prayer hall—the inner part of the mosque.

The mosque has four minarets, each at every corner of the mosque.

The courtyard also has entrance to Dargah sharif Miran Badshah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه

Inner Part of Wazir khan masjid

The main inner part of the mosque has five arched doors, the centre one is the widest and the largest of all.

The arches have verses of the holy Quran and Floral paintings and colourful work done.

The main inner Sehen (courtyard) has, five domes, the centre one is the largest.

There is a wooden Mimbar in the centre of the mosque.

Inner part of the masjid has beautiful work done to it, with verses of the holy Quran, Hadith Mubarak (according to an account), floral work, richly covered with naqqāshī (fresco painting), a hallmark of the Wazir Khan Mosque’s interior.

To this day, its halls are still filled with prayers that are said daily. At Friday prayers, thousands of people attend;

Women and men in different courts, and the voices of preachers are heard on the domes. The ablution place in the courtyard, where the worshippers perform their wudu, receives the sun, with the arches creating shadows in the form of lace over the stone.

Muslims from around Lahore and Pakistan, as well as from around the world, visit the mosque and perform Namaz.

Local Insights: Hidden Corners, Community Rhythms and Restoration efforts

The mosque has also suffered from pollution, weather, shop encroachment, broken walls, tiled.

It began to be seriously restored around 2004 by the Government of Punjab, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and international donors.

The Shahi Guzargah Project has cleaned up the surrounding area in recent years, eliminating illegal shops that blocked the view, burying power lines and various other efforts in maintaining the area around the mosque.

Going round Wazir Khan Mosque in the early morning, you may find some chai shops opening, elders sitting at the Chowk (square) having casual chats.

Children chase shadows along the tile work.

The calligrapher’s bazaar, once home to artisans binding Quran Pak, painting letters, is quieter now, but some shops still operate.

Towards the sunset, the light enters the arches and illuminates the lost frescoes.

Wazir Khan Mosque is indeed one of the jewel of Lahore. What This Really Means?

Wazir Khan Mosque isn’t just a monument. It’s a mirror: of Lahore’s grandeur, its fragility, its everyday faith.

Stories of artisans, worshippers, conservationists, shopkeepers all overlap here.

When you enter, you’re not only stepping into Mughal stones, you’re stepping into lives still being lived.

If you go, listen to the verses, feel the cool tiles, watch how light plays with shadow at dusk. These small things tell loud stories.

Write us to place your advertisement OR Write us about the article: