Posted on: 24 February 2011

Interior of a Musjid, Ahmedabad - 1853

Water-colour painting of figures inside a mosque at Ahmadabad, Gujarat by William Carpenter (1818-1899) between 1850 and 1856. Inscribed on the reverse is: [In]'terior of a Musjid, Ahmedabad'.

Situated on the banks of the Sabarmati River, Ahmadabad was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Gujarat in 1411 when he expanded the village of Asaval. As the new capital of an independent sultanate, an expansive building programme was carried out, including the construction of local and congregational mosques, a palace area and square, processional thoroughfares and gateways, and a central commercial zone. The architecture of Ahmadabad, including the style of mosques, is much influenced by local temple construction techniques and decoration. The mosques served not only as places of prayer, but additionally as venues for teaching, legal ceremonies, meetings and discussions, and on occasion as dormitories.

Source : British Library


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Ahmad Shah I, built the Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad & finished in 1423. It is generally considered the high water mark of mosque design in Western India, if not in the entire country. This mosque due to limitation of the orientation, sits along the "King's Way" across which was also constructed the Triumphal Arch or Teen Darwaza, like the Roman triumphal arches. This one particularly resembles the triple archways of Septimus Severus and of Constantine of the third and fourth centuries respectively, though Teen Darwaza is only 37' high whereas the Septimus Severus Arch is 68' high. Upon his death in 1442, Ahmad Shah ! was buried in the tomb (built by his son Mohamad Shah) at the Eastern entrance of Jami Masjid.