Babur's Mosque, Karnal

Babur, the first Mughal emperor of India made several mosques, some original, others by destroying the Hindu temples like the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. Babur’s Mosque at Karnal, like so many other mosques built in various parts of India, bears the influences of the local as well the Mughal style of architectures.

The construction of the mosque started in 1527 and was completed in 1528. The mosque was constructed by Babur to celebrate his victory over Ibrahim Lodhi and conclusively establish his supremacy over the Indian Empire.

The huge mosque, located over a vast area, had a garden as well, but it has disappeared in the course of time.

The main prayer hall of the mosque measures 53.75x16.5 metres and is covered with a high dome. It had octagonal towers made of bricks and covered by domes, but only one of them has survived until now.

The mosque has three domes. The main dome is flanked by two small domes. The mosque is ringed by two huge walls which are built parallel to each other. It had also a deep well which provided cool and sweet water. A stone tablet in the mosque states in Persian that it was built by an architect Mir Baqi. The mosque is located in the heart of the city of Karnal.