Template:POTD/2024-12-31
The Shah Jahan Mosque is a 17th-century central mosque in the city of Thatta, Pakistan. The mosque is was built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who bestowed it to 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 secondary domes, showing its octagonal structure, with blue-and-white tiles arranged in stellated patterns to represent the heavens.Photograph credit: Alexander Savin