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Khirki MasjidDelhi, India
The Khirki Masjid is located in the settlement of Jahanpanah, Delhi, and was commissioned by by Khan-i Jahan Junan Shah, vizier to the Tughluq Sultan Firoz Shah (reg. 1351-1388). The Khirki, named for the perforated windows, or khirkis, that decorate the upper floors, has four open courtyards that provide light and ventilation to the internal prayer spaces. Occupying an area of 87 square meters, the mosque is built on a raised platform with arched recessed openings (taikhana) that is 3 meters in height.
Unlike an open courtyard (hypostyle) congregational mosque, the Khirki Masjid is square in plan, subdivided into quarters; each quarter has its own inner courtyard. Internally, arcades running north-south divide the mosque space into aisles. These arcades are formed by 180 square structural columns and 60 pilasters. The main entrance to the prayer hall is through the southern entrance: one climbs a flight of stairs to a gateway flanked by tapering turrets. This gateway fronts a small vestibule, square in plan, which extends out from the main southern exterior wall. Larger round tapering bastions appear at each of the four corners of mosque's exterior walls. The southern entrance doorway shows a mixture of arch and trabeated construction: within a decorative rectilinear frame, a blind ogee arch contains the door opening (itself a lintel frame with a corbel infill). In the interior, bays of arcades signify non-hierarchical space, and an outwardly projecting mihrab is found on the western qibla wall. The square courtyards, which are enclosed by these arcades, measure 9.14 meters on each side.
The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into 25 squares equal in size. Group of 9 small domes together alternate with flat roofs (and the four open courts) to cover the roof. The small, plastered domes total 81; the flat roofs, 12. The external surface of the mosque is plaster; its interiors are undecorated save for traditional carved stone screens (jalis) that also admit light. The rubble core construction of the mosque's walls, both exterior and interior, can be seen where the plaster has fallen off.
Sources:
Alfieri, Bianca Maria. Islamic Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2000, 45, 46.
Nath, Ram. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1978. 69-72.
Sahai, Surendra. Indian Architecture: Islamic Period, 1192 - 1857. New Delhi: Prakash Books India, 2004. 30.
Unlike an open courtyard (hypostyle) congregational mosque, the Khirki Masjid is square in plan, subdivided into quarters; each quarter has its own inner courtyard. Internally, arcades running north-south divide the mosque space into aisles. These arcades are formed by 180 square structural columns and 60 pilasters. The main entrance to the prayer hall is through the southern entrance: one climbs a flight of stairs to a gateway flanked by tapering turrets. This gateway fronts a small vestibule, square in plan, which extends out from the main southern exterior wall. Larger round tapering bastions appear at each of the four corners of mosque's exterior walls. The southern entrance doorway shows a mixture of arch and trabeated construction: within a decorative rectilinear frame, a blind ogee arch contains the door opening (itself a lintel frame with a corbel infill). In the interior, bays of arcades signify non-hierarchical space, and an outwardly projecting mihrab is found on the western qibla wall. The square courtyards, which are enclosed by these arcades, measure 9.14 meters on each side.
The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into 25 squares equal in size. Group of 9 small domes together alternate with flat roofs (and the four open courts) to cover the roof. The small, plastered domes total 81; the flat roofs, 12. The external surface of the mosque is plaster; its interiors are undecorated save for traditional carved stone screens (jalis) that also admit light. The rubble core construction of the mosque's walls, both exterior and interior, can be seen where the plaster has fallen off.
Sources:
Alfieri, Bianca Maria. Islamic Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2000, 45, 46.
Nath, Ram. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1978. 69-72.
Sahai, Surendra. Indian Architecture: Islamic Period, 1192 - 1857. New Delhi: Prakash Books India, 2004. 30.
Location
Delhi, India
Associated Names
Events
1375/776 AH
Style Periods
Variant Names
Khirki Masjid (Jahanpanah, Delhi)
Variant
Khirki Mosque
Variant
Building Usages
religious
Khirki Masjid
Delhi, India
The Khirki Masjid is located in the settlement of Jahanpanah, Delhi, and was commissioned by by Khan-i Jahan Junan Shah, vizier to the Tughluq Sultan Firoz Shah (reg. 1351-1388). The Khirki, named for the perforated windows, or khirkis, that decorate the upper floors, has four open courtyards that provide light and ventilation to the internal prayer spaces. Occupying an area of 87 square meters, the mosque is built on a raised platform with arched recessed openings (taikhana) that is 3 meters in height.
Unlike an open courtyard (hypostyle) congregational mosque, the Khirki Masjid is square in plan, subdivided into quarters; each quarter has its own inner courtyard. Internally, arcades running north-south divide the mosque space into aisles. These arcades are formed by 180 square structural columns and 60 pilasters. The main entrance to the prayer hall is through the southern entrance: one climbs a flight of stairs to a gateway flanked by tapering turrets. This gateway fronts a small vestibule, square in plan, which extends out from the main southern exterior wall. Larger round tapering bastions appear at each of the four corners of mosque's exterior walls. The southern entrance doorway shows a mixture of arch and trabeated construction: within a decorative rectilinear frame, a blind ogee arch contains the door opening (itself a lintel frame with a corbel infill). In the interior, bays of arcades signify non-hierarchical space, and an outwardly projecting mihrab is found on the western qibla wall. The square courtyards, which are enclosed by these arcades, measure 9.14 meters on each side.
The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into 25 squares equal in size. Group of 9 small domes together alternate with flat roofs (and the four open courts) to cover the roof. The small, plastered domes total 81; the flat roofs, 12. The external surface of the mosque is plaster; its interiors are undecorated save for traditional carved stone screens (jalis) that also admit light. The rubble core construction of the mosque's walls, both exterior and interior, can be seen where the plaster has fallen off.
Sources:
Alfieri, Bianca Maria. Islamic Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2000, 45, 46.
Nath, Ram. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1978. 69-72.
Sahai, Surendra. Indian Architecture: Islamic Period, 1192 - 1857. New Delhi: Prakash Books India, 2004. 30.
Unlike an open courtyard (hypostyle) congregational mosque, the Khirki Masjid is square in plan, subdivided into quarters; each quarter has its own inner courtyard. Internally, arcades running north-south divide the mosque space into aisles. These arcades are formed by 180 square structural columns and 60 pilasters. The main entrance to the prayer hall is through the southern entrance: one climbs a flight of stairs to a gateway flanked by tapering turrets. This gateway fronts a small vestibule, square in plan, which extends out from the main southern exterior wall. Larger round tapering bastions appear at each of the four corners of mosque's exterior walls. The southern entrance doorway shows a mixture of arch and trabeated construction: within a decorative rectilinear frame, a blind ogee arch contains the door opening (itself a lintel frame with a corbel infill). In the interior, bays of arcades signify non-hierarchical space, and an outwardly projecting mihrab is found on the western qibla wall. The square courtyards, which are enclosed by these arcades, measure 9.14 meters on each side.
The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into 25 squares equal in size. Group of 9 small domes together alternate with flat roofs (and the four open courts) to cover the roof. The small, plastered domes total 81; the flat roofs, 12. The external surface of the mosque is plaster; its interiors are undecorated save for traditional carved stone screens (jalis) that also admit light. The rubble core construction of the mosque's walls, both exterior and interior, can be seen where the plaster has fallen off.
Sources:
Alfieri, Bianca Maria. Islamic Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2000, 45, 46.
Nath, Ram. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications, 1978. 69-72.
Sahai, Surendra. Indian Architecture: Islamic Period, 1192 - 1857. New Delhi: Prakash Books India, 2004. 30.
Location
Delhi, India
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Associated Names
Events
1375/776 AH
Style Periods
Variant Names
Khirki Masjid (Jahanpanah, Delhi)
Variant
Khirki Mosque
Variant
Building Usages
religious