The Moti Masjid

The Moti Masjid, or “Pearl Mosque,” is the name given to three imperial mosques built of white marble during the reign of the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, located respectively in the Agra Fort, the Red Fort in Delhi, and the Lahore Fort. Constructed between about 1647 and 1658, the three mosques are closely related in design, materials, and symbolism, and they represent the most refined statement of the imperial Mughal vocabulary in the field of religious architecture. The name “Pearl Mosque” derives from the luminous white marble of the principal material, which reflects the changing light of the day in a manner that has been compared to the lustre of pearls. The three mosques are among the most important surviving examples of the religious architecture of the Mughal architecture tradition, and they are integral to the wider programme of imperial patronage that defined Shah Jahan’s reign.

The Three Moti Masjids

The first of the three Moti Masjids was the one built in the Agra Fort, constructed between about 1647 and 1654 and located within the inner precinct of the fort, near the Diwan-i-Khas. The Agra Moti Masjid is the smallest of the three, but it is also the most refined, and it is widely regarded as the prototype for the later mosques of the same name. The second was the Moti Masjid of the Red Fort in Delhi, constructed between about 1648 and 1658 as part of the new imperial capital at Shahjahanabad, and the third was the Moti Masjid of the Lahore Fort, constructed between about 1630 and 1640 during Shah Jahan’s early patronage of the Lahore region.

The three mosques share a number of common features. All three are constructed primarily of white marble, the principal material of Shah Jahan’s architectural patronage, and all three use red sandstone for the principal structural elements and the contrast between the white marble and the red sandstone is a feature of the design. All three follow a small-scale plan with a prayer hall, a courtyard, and a series of small domes, and all three are decorated with carved and inlaid ornament that draws on the broader Mughal architecture tradition.

The Agra Moti Masjid

The Moti Masjid of the Agra Fort is located within the inner precinct of the fort, near the Diwan-i-Khas and the Nagina Masjid. The mosque is constructed primarily of white marble, with red sandstone used for the structural elements, and it follows a small-scale plan with a prayer hall, a courtyard, and three domes of white marble. The prayer hall is articulated with pointed iwan arches and the smaller niches that became a signature of the late Mughal idiom, and the interior is decorated with carved and inlaid ornament that draws on the broader Mughal architecture tradition.

The mosque is notable for the refinement of its proportions, the careful integration of the building with the surrounding palace complex, and the use of white marble as the principal material. The mosque was built for the private use of the emperor and the imperial household, and its location within the inner precinct of the fort reflects the integration of religious and imperial functions that was a feature of the Mughal palace complex.

The Delhi Moti Masjid

The Moti Masjid of the Red Fort in Delhi is located within the inner precinct of the fort, near the Diwan-i-Khas and the hammam. The mosque is constructed primarily of white marble, with red sandstone used for the structural elements, and it follows a small-scale plan with a prayer hall, a courtyard, and three domes of white marble. The prayer hall is articulated with pointed iwan arches and the smaller niches that became a signature of the late Mughal idiom, and the interior is decorated with carved and inlaid ornament that draws on the broader Mughal architecture tradition.

The mosque is notable for the carefully designed relationship between the building and the surrounding palace complex, the use of white marble as the principal material, and the integration of the building with the larger urban programme of Shahjahanabad. The location of the mosque within the inner precinct of the Red Fort reflects the integration of religious and imperial functions that was a feature of the Mughal palace complex, and the building is closely associated with the Jama Masjid of Delhi, the great congregational mosque of the new capital, which lies outside the fort to the west.

The Lahore Moti Masjid

The Moti Masjid of the Lahore Fort is located within the inner precinct of the fort, near the Diwan-i-Khas and the Sheesh Mahal. The mosque is constructed primarily of white marble, with red sandstone used for the structural elements, and it follows a small-scale plan with a prayer hall, a courtyard, and three domes of white marble. The prayer hall is articulated with pointed iwan arches and the smaller niches that became a signature of the late Mughal idiom, and the interior is decorated with carved and inlaid ornament that draws on the broader Mughal architecture tradition.

The mosque is notable for the careful integration of the building with the surrounding palace complex, the use of white marble as the principal material, and the relationship with the wider programme of imperial patronage in the Lahore region. The mosque was built during the early years of Shah Jahan’s reign, before the larger projects of the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Delhi, and it provides an important link between the late architecture of Jahangir’s reign and the more elaborate patronage of Shah Jahan’s later years.

The Design and the Use of White Marble

The use of white marble as the principal material of the Moti Masjids is a defining feature of the design, and the choice of the material is closely associated with the broader architectural patronage of Shah Jahan. The shift from red sandstone to white marble as the principal material of imperial architecture had begun during the reign of Jahangir, with the construction of the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah in Agra, and it was perfected during the reign of Shah Jahan in the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort in Delhi, and the three Moti Masjids.

The luminous quality of the white marble, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon light, has been a feature of the appreciation of the buildings since their construction, and the name “Pearl Mosque” derives from this quality. The use of the material in the small-scale context of the Moti Masjids, as opposed to the monumental context of the Taj Mahal, produced a different effect, and the buildings are notable for the refinement of their proportions.

The Three Domes

The three domes of the prayer hall, constructed of white marble and crowned by finials that combine Persian and Indian motifs, are a distinctive feature of the design. The domes follow the bulbous profile that was a feature of the late Mughal idiom, and they are supported on high drums that allow the principal volume of the prayer hall to be lit by a clerestory of small windows. The three-dome composition of the prayer hall became a signature of the late Mughal idiom, and it is found in a number of the religious buildings of the period, including the Jama Masjid of Delhi and the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore.

The Prayer Hall and the Symbolic Programme

The prayer hall of the Moti Masjids, oriented towards Mecca, follows the conventional plan of the Mughal imperial mosque, with a central nave flanked by subsidiary aisles and a mihrab in the western wall. The interior is decorated with carved and inlaid ornament, including Quranic inscriptions and the floral and geometric motifs that became a signature of the late Mughal idiom. The symbolic programme of the mosques emphasises the integration of religious and imperial functions, and the buildings are closely associated with the broader programme of imperial patronage that defined Shah Jahan’s reign.

Place in Mughal Religious Architecture

The three Moti Masjids represent the most refined statement of the imperial Mughal vocabulary in the field of religious architecture, and they are closely associated with the larger religious buildings of the period, including the Jama Masjid of Delhi and the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore. The buildings are notable for the use of white marble as the principal material, the three-dome composition of the prayer hall, the small scale of the design, and the integration of the buildings with the surrounding palace complexes. The three mosques have been the subject of extensive restoration work in the post-Independence period, and they are protected as important monuments of the Mughal architecture tradition.

Sources

• Ebba Koch, Mughal Architecture (1991), pp. 110–14.