The
Shah Jahan Mosque is a 17th-century
central mosque in the city of
Thatta, Pakistan. The mosque was built during the reign of the
Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan, who bestowed it on Thatta as a token of gratitude, and is heavily influenced by Central Asian architecture – a reflection of Shah Jahan's campaigns near
Samarkand shortly before the mosque was designed. It is notable for its geometric brick work, a decorative element that is unusual for Mughal-period mosques. The mosque is unusual for its lack of minarets although it has a total of 93 domes, the most of any structure in Pakistan. This photograph depicts an interior view of one of the Shah Jahan Mosque's larger domes, showing its blue-and-white tiles arranged in
stellated patterns to represent the heavens.
Photograph credit: Alexander Savin
