Pakistan today is known to its visitors as the land of great historical and archaeological splendours. The most spectacular amongst these are the gems of historical monuments raised during the Muslim period. Unlike their predecessors (the Hindus), whose architecture was confined almost entirely to temples, Muslim architecture represents a great deal of variety. The centre of Muslim culture, of course, is the mosque, and this exerted a powerful influence by introducing a new element of direction towards Ka’bah (Makkah) the dimension which affected the entire Muslim architecture and town planning in the South Asia subcontinent. The other class of buildings of a religious nature were tombs. In contrast to the religious buildings, the secular architecture is of miscellaneous order. Amongst these may be included monuments of public and civic importance such as houses, minarets or towers, parks, gardens etc., besides the large imperial schemes of palace-forts and even entire cities like Bambhore and Mansura.

Mosques

The finest examples of mosque architecture in Pakistan are the Wazir Khan Mosque, the great Badshahi

Mosque of Lahore, Shah Jehani Mosque of Thatta and Masjid Mahabat Khan of Peshawar. All the four mosques were constructed during the Mughal rule, a period when Muslim architecture was at its zenith. With its large gateway and four octagonal minarets, Wazir Khan Mosque has a certain picturesque character which places this conception in a style by itself. Every portion of its structure, both inside and outside, is enriched with a ~ariegated scheme of colour, either by floral patterns painted in tempera or panels of more conventional design executed in lustrous glaze. The ornamental decoration has been done in most expansive and colourful mood and the building has been deliberately designed structurally to create decorative space, for example, receptacles have been provided for coloured embellishment while all the wall surfaces are divided up into panels to accommodate the same ornamentation.

The great Mosque of Thatta, built by Shah Jehan, the builder of Taj Mahal, was constructed about the middle of 17th century, and its glazed tile and stucco decoration are among the finest specimens of this type of work. A great feat of engineering skill in this mosque is the structural design of building which provides both for projection of sound as well as supply of fresh air at all times, including months of intense summer heat. Even today the mosque does not have any artificial installations such as loudspeaker or fans.

Masjid Mahabat Khan at Peshawar was constructed in 1643 by Mahabat Khan, the Governor of Peshawar, during the reign of Emperor Shah Jehan while the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore was built by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1674. Both these mosques are buildings of strong and resolute character. With more minarets than is usual in the structure of their order, they present imposing appearance. Three beautiful domes rise grandly over roofs of their main prayer hail. Surmounting a plain yet stately expanse of solid masonry, the bulbous domes of Badshahi Mosque are superb examples of workmanship and are impressive whether seen from the courtyard or from the rear views of the exterior. The facade of this mosque is red sandstone decorated with marble inlay in floral and geometrical patterns.

A different response is provided by some of the mosques constructed recently in Islamabad. The design of these mosques reflects chaste and graceful forms representing some of the most elegant features of Muslim architecture evolved through the ages. The most famous of these is the Faisa! Masjid. The design of this mosque, was prepared by a renowned Turkish architect, Mr. Vedat Dalokay and selected through an international competition. The mosque spreads over 189,705 square metres (266,888 sq. yards) in the vicnity of Margalla Hills. Each of its four towering minarets, 88 metres (290 feet) high, would be visible from a distance. The prayer hail or sanctuary is a tent-shaped 40 metres (130 feet) high building that would accommodate 10,000 persons. The entrance, verandah, and porticos have a covered praying capacity for 24,000 persons while main courtyard on the eastern side will provide space for 40,000 people. Under the roof of the main courtyard provision has been made for an Islamic Research Institute, ablution area for 300 persons at a time, printing press, cafeteria, a museum and offices of mosque administration. Some other architecturally significant mosques of contemporary period outside Islamabad are the Jamia Masjid of Wah Cantonment, Defence Society Mosque of Karachi and Masjid-i-Shuhada of Lahore.

Shrines

The other class of buildings of religious order in Pakistan, besides mosques, is the shrines or mausoleums of saints. Before the advent of Islam, the people of this part of the world raised no sepulchre to mark the resting place of the dead. Their ashes, after cremation, were thrown in sacred rivers. The tomb usually consists of a single compartment or tomb chamber in the centre of which is a cenotaph, with the whole structure being roofed over by a dome. In the ground underneath the building resembling a crypt is the mortuary chamber with the grave in the middle.

The city of Multan possesses the finest collection of mausoleums. The earliest of these, the mausoleum of Shah Yusuf Gardezi (1152), with a simple rectangular shape, appears to have been an initial effort. It relies wholly on the brilliant play of colour produced by its surface ornamentation of encaustic tiles which encase every part of its outer walls. Although most of the faces of these tiles are merely painted, some are moulded into a form of low relief decoration. The two succeeding tombs of Shah Baha-ud-Din Zakariya (died 1262) and Shamsuddin Sabzwari (died 1276), in Multan, all built within a period of about twenty years, have a different architectural formation. No doubt, they are rectangular in plan, but similarity with the first then ceases as they are in three stages, the lowest of which is square, the topmost hemispherical with an octagonal second storey in the middle.

The largest and most important mausoleum of Multan is that of Shah Rukn-e-Alam built during 1320-24 A.D. It is a massive octagonal structure, 25.5 metres (90 feet) in diameter and 35 metres (115 feet) high. A striking feature of its elevation is the effect of its sloping sides, which have been emphasized by addition of turrets or minarets at each angle of the building. The hemispherical dome at the roof of the mausoleum is a superstructure about 18 metres (58 feet) in diameter. Although of brick foundation, the building has been elaborately ornamented in dark blue, white and azure tiles. Bands of carved timbering have also been sunk into the walls at appropriate intervals to enhance the beauty.

Other important shrines of Pakistan are the tombs of Ph Musa Pak Shaheed Jilani (died 1593) in Multan, Syed Mi Hajveri in Lahore, Lal Shahbaz Qalander in Sebwan Sharif and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai at Bbit Shah near Hyderabad. Forts

Alongwith religious architecture, one finds simultaneous development in non-religious architecture. The most celebrated and scintillating specimen of these is the imperial fort at Lahore. The palace-fort alongwith its royal pavilions, is a beautiful example of pageantry and art for which Mughal era was famous. The fort was completed in three phases. It was built by Akbar in 1566 A.D. Akbar’s son added another beautiful palace to it, which is now known as Jehangir’s quadrangle, after his name. Jehangir’s successor, Shah Jehan, brought to the fort his genius for building and his flair for magnificence. A number of Akbar’s sandstone structures were swept away to make room for marble buildings of more appropriate style. This is best evidenced in the graceful Diwan-eKhas or Hall of Audience. His exquisite Shish Mahal (palace of mirrors) has a marble dado, carved marble screen and is ornamented with mosaics of tiny convex mirrors of various colours set in arabesque. West of Shish Mahal stands famous Naulakha Pavilion, studded with 900,000 semiprecious stones. It is embellished with delicate and costly pietra-dura work.

Other forts, emblematic of vigorous Muslim rule are Balahisar Fort at Peshawar, Rohtas Fort, 19 kilometres northwest of Jhelum, and the famous fort at Attock. The first of these was built by Babar in 16th century while the latter two were constructed by Sher Shah Sun and Akbar respectively. Dating back to 16th Century, the three forts are structural projects of immense strength. The Sohal gate, guarding the southwest wall of Rohtas Fort, is an illustration of a genius, who converted a feature built for strength into a remarkably graceful piece of architecture. Two other forts in this series are Sheikhupura and Hyderabad forts constructed by Jehangir in 17th Century and Gbulam Shah Kalbora (a local ruler of Sind) in 18th Century respectively.

Tombs

Royal tombs constitute another group of architectural monuments which form a class in their own right. Three beautiful tombs of Emperor Jehangir, his wife Noor Jehan and his brother-in-law Asif Jah at Shahdara (Lahore) are superb examples of these. The majestic tomb of Emperor Jebangir, completed in 1637, stands in the middle of a large symmetrical garden. It is a long single.storeYed building of red sandstone with four octagonal minarets surmounted with white marble cupolas. The interior of the tomb has fresco decorations on i)valls and floor. The marble cenotaph with its delicate pietra-dura work, engraved with the ninety-nine attributes of God, all in beautiful calligraphy, is the finest example of marble workmanship of the time. The tomb of Ash Jab displays on its exterior, specimens of rich mural ornamentation of tile work, one in which the tiles are about 15 centimetres (6 inches) square having the design carried across the joints so as to present the effect of a “free all over pattern”. But it is in the embellishment of its interior chambers that one finds superb example of plastic work. On the ceiling, there are the remains of a
graceful interlaced pattern in high relief, executed in plaster and attached to the concave surface by means of a framework of bamboos. The design suggests the line of an Italian or Sicilian textile.

Another significant group of tombs is in Makli Hills, the necropoliS of Thatta, which has about one million graves scattered over an area of 15.5 sq kilometres. With their stone carving, surface traceries, and colour tiling, some graves of rulers in this city of the dead are notable specimens of architecture. The largest and most attractive monument is the tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan who died in 1644. It consists of a square courtyard surrounded by high walls with two grandiose separate balconies carved upto the dome. Isa Khan constructed this tremendous place of death in his life time.

Another interesting feature of Islamic architecture in Pakistan is Hiran Minar. Minars, towers, and similar erections, not only formed important part of buildings in Islamic architecture but often, as in northern Iran, they were also raised as isolated structures. Situated about 45 kilometres from Lahore, Hiran Minar was raised under orders of Emperor Jehangir in early 17th Century. It is a tower 33.5 metres high and 9 metres wide. The ~~ree~storeyed monument is in the centre of a tank, 272 metres long and 174 metres wide.

Wooden Architecture

The Muslim architecture also found expression in beautiful residential buildings and houses. Percy Brown, a renowned authority, identified in Lahore and other areas of Pakistan, type of wooden architecture certain features of which bear resemblance to the buildings of the Saljuqs of twelfth century as well as houses in other areas of Muslim Asia. In addition to the beams embedded hon zont~illy within the brickwork, there are other substantial elements, notably door-ways with windows above, and
also overhanging balconies.

Shalimar Garden

Of the spacious gardens solely created as pleasure resorts, the most well-known is the Shalimar Garden of Lahore. This famous garden was designed by Au Mardan, the Chief Designer of Emperor Shah Jehan, in 17th Century. Laid out in Persian style, it is a triple terraced garden with marble pavilions, thiee large pools, a marble cascade and more than 400 fountains. To ensure privacy, the garden was enclosed with a high oblong wall, 488 metres by 214 metres. The water supply required to maintain this garden in a state of uninterrupted efficiency, was ensured through the construction of a canal which was no mean feat of engineering. Spacious gardens of similar type were laid out in other cities, many of which are traceable in remnant forms like Shalimar Garden of Peshawar, the two remnants of which Shahi Bagh and the Jinnah Park, are still in existence.