bhong mosque
Jacques Betant


bhong mosque


Rais Ghazi Mohammad, a wealthy Punjabi landowner, commissioned this mosque in 1932 to be the jewel of his new palace compound, which already included a mosque and a prestigious madrasa (religious school) In 1986, it won the AKAA. The enterprise, which required the installation of a modern infrastructure, drew master craftsmen from all over Pakistan and India, and took 50 years to complete. The mosque's design is a motley mix of Islamic styles, using rare and traditional materials such as ivory, teak, and onyx, along with industrial elements like terrazzo and artificial stone facing. Generous critics, mostly Western, have called it "Arabian Nights a la Hollywood," noting how much it delights the Pakistani bemoaning the fact that such an undisciplined work will now set an architectural standard. To date, it has been the most controversial of the AKAA winners.


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