Shab Bhar Mosque, Indo-Islamic mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.
Shab Bhar Mosque is a brick mosque built in the Indo-Islamic style, sitting on the first floor above street-level shops in Lahore. The prayer room is small, fitting around a dozen worshippers, and includes a space for ritual washing.
This mosque was built in 1917 by the local Muslim community as a way to secure their claim to the land during British colonial rule. The speed of its construction was a direct response to the pressures they faced at the time.
An inscription at the entrance features verses by the poet Muhammad Iqbal, connecting devotion with literary expression in one place. Visitors who pause at the doorway can read these lines before entering the prayer room.
The mosque sits above a row of shops and is easy to miss from the street, so look for the entrance along the building facade. Visitors should dress modestly and be prepared for a very small interior.
The name Shab Bhar translates from Urdu as something close to Night Mosque, a direct reference to how it came to exist. The entire structure was raised between sunset and sunrise in a single night.
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