Decorative works in the Maryam Zamani Mosque: An Evocation

Abstract

The mosque lies at the very heart of Islamic architecture. It is an apt symbol of the faith which it serves. That symbolic role was understood by Muslims at a very early stage, and played its part in the creation of suitable visual markers for the building: dome, minaret, Mihrab and Member among others. Masjid, derived from the root sajada, to prostrate oneself, is used in the Qur’an itself, though in rather a broad sense, to denote a place of worship. Its meaning was quickly refined, however, to indicate more specifically a mosque for daily private prayer. The term is an English version of original Arabic word masjid or the mosque is a derivative of the original Arabic term masjid which literary means to prostrate but traditionally it came to be known worship place of the Muslim community. As far as Maryam Zamani mosque is concerned this is one of the most ancient mosques of the city. It is situated close to the Masti Gate of the city, opposite the eastern wall of the Lahore fort. The mosque is distinct because of the exquisite fresco paintings of the interior surface. The paintings have been rightly regarded as un-rivalled in Pakistan as well as in India for their delicacy and lively variety. The use of fresco paintings at the mosque of Maryam Zamani as a means of surface decoration has been favored in the sub-continent from very early days. The early examples at the Jogimara cave in Mirzapur district and those at Ajanta and Bagh take us deep into antiquity. The tradition has since continued in the subcontinent and during the Muslim rule, we find it applied extensively. Never in the history of the architecture of the early Mughal period do we find such an extensive and exclusive use of this type of decoration. The endless variety of geometric, floral and inscriptional designs spread interior surface in a subtle colour scheme is a characteristic not seen elsewhere. The mosque has also several inscriptions, both Quranic and non-Quranic, executed exclusively in plaster in high and bold relief a characteristics which is met with first here in the historic monuments of the Mughals in Lahore. Among the non-Quranic inscriptions, the two executed over the arches of the two entrance gates and the one executed on the high façade of the prayer chamber are important as they record the name of the founder and the date of the completion of the mosque.