Faisal Mosque - Heritage Pakistan

[pakistanheritage]

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the sixth largest mosque in the world.
Faisal Mosque is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan. It has a covered area of 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft)and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshipers (100,000 in its main prayer hall, courtyard and porticoes and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds)
The Faisal Mosque is named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.

History
The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when the late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan. In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. After four days of deliberation, Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay’s design was chosen. Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction of Pakistan, led by Azim Borujerdi, and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. The mosque was completed in 1986, and used to house the International Islamic University. Many conservative Muslims criticised the design at first for its non-conventional design and lack of the traditional dome structure, but virtually all criticism was eventually silenced by the mosque’s scale, form, and setting against the Margalla Hills upon completion.

Location

King_Faisal_Masque_IslamabadThe mosque is located in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas.

Design

The Faisal Mosque is the work of famous Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay who won the Agha Khan Architectural Award with this project. The mosque’s relatively unusual design fuses contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin’s tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. However, unlike traditional masjid design, it lacks a dome. The minarets borrow their design from Turkish tradition and are thin and pencil like. The interior of this prayer hall holds a very large chandelier and its walls are decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall, and has the kalimah writtern in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern.

The mosque’s architecture is a departure from the long history of South Asian Islamic architecture. It is one of the most outstanding and modern Islamic architecture examples in the world. View More about:[URL="http://www.heritage.com.pk/architecture/mosque/faisal-mosque/"]Faisal Mosque[/URL]

 

[jagjitnatt]

I thought some pics would complement this thread nicely

Magnificent Indeed!

 

[jarnee]

Yeah it looks good, i think it is most modern of its kind, Other wise the next biggest will be 400 years old Jama Mazid in Delhi 6

 

[jagjitnatt]

It is really modern, great architecture and looks awesome at night. I wonder why I never heard of it before...

 

[Hyde]

my friend its World's biggest mosque

not the 6th biggest mosque

your source is probably counting only the inside area of the Mosque..... but there is a lot of space outside the mosque too and that is also counted the part of the Mosque...... so in that senses its the biggest mosque in the World

 

[S.U.R.B.]

It's really awesome;25 min drive from my home,it captivates me every time i visit it.An another thing it has got the most advanced shocks supporting the roof which can bear an earthquake of 9 on Richter magnitude scale & it was the only building of it's type where the roof structure was built and placed before the walls were constructed to support it: it's design really rocks !!!

 

[Awesome]

It is really modern, great architecture and looks awesome at night. I wonder why I never heard of it before...

Its quite old now.

 

[Hyde]

i have my own pictures there in Faisal Masjid

And also for those who likes Zia-ul-haq might not know that he is buried just outside the Faisal Masjid

And there is a University underneath (at one corner of) Faisal Masjid, i remember when i was a child i went there and i found all Punjabis in Faisal Masjid but when i visited this mosque in 2008 there were all Pathans i was feeling like i have come to Peshawar

 

[arslan_treen]

i have my own pictures there in Faisal Masjid


And there is a University underneath (at one corner of) Faisal Masjid, i remember when i was a child i went there and i found all Punjabis in Faisal Masjid but when i visited this mosque in 2008 there were all Pathans i was feeling like i have come to Peshawar

Your point being ?? is there some thing i am missing or you just rolling on the floor for no reason ? lol

 

[Hyde]

Your point being ?? is there some thing i am missing or you just rolling on the floor for no reason ? lol

just telling some brief info about this Masjid

that it is the biggest mosque in the world and not 6th...... it has also got an Islamic Univeristy there and also the corpse of General Zia ul Haq (Shaheed) is buried there

 

[S.U.R.B.]

just telling some brief info about this Masjid

that it is the biggest mosque in the world and not 6th...... it has also got an Islamic Univeristy there and also the corpse of General Zia ul Haq (Shaheed) is buried there

That's the old campus of international islamic university.The new campus is in sector H-10.To be precise they say the teeth of General Zia ul Haq are burried there; you are right many afghans and pathans do visit the mosque .

 

[Omar1984]

i have my own pictures there in Faisal Masjid

And also for those who likes Zia-ul-haq might not know that he is buried just outside the Faisal Masjid

And there is a University underneath (at one corner of) Faisal Masjid, i remember when i was a child i went there and i found all Punjabis in Faisal Masjid but when i visited this mosque in 2008 there were all Pathans i was feeling like i have come to Peshawar

When you pray in a Masjid, do you ask the person standing next to you if he's Punjabi, Pathan, Sindhi, Baloch, Kashmiri, Saraiki

 

[Hammy007]

mr x why u r surprised, after all we are pakistanis

 

[Hyde]

mr x why u r surprised, after all we are pakistanis

surprised because i wasn't expecting so much of Pathan brothers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi

When you pray in a Masjid, do you ask the person standing next to you if he's Punjabi, Pathan, Sindhi, Baloch, Kashmiri, Saraiki

I am not criticizing it........... they are the residents of Pakistan and my brothers in Islam

I am just saying that i was not expecting that many Pathans all of a sudden in Islamabad

As i said before when i visited Faisal Mosque before coming to UK back in 2000 around 99% peoples inside the Mosque were Punjabis and i was hoping the similar environment there in 2008 when i entered the Masjid Area i found about 80% Pathans only

Thats ok they are also the residents of Pakistan and perhaps some immigrants from Afghanistan but i am just giving my opinion not criticizing

 

[pakistanguide]

The World Heritage site of Taxila is located in Punjab Province, about 30 kilometers from Islamabad.

Taxila is an archaeological site includes numerous related buildings, fortifications, settlements and monasteries, and shows architectural influences for the length of its role as a Buddhist training center, between the 5th century BC through the 2nd century AD.

At Taxila, you can see the great Buddha. His eyes will gaze upon you till you find yourself gripped by the feeling of awe.
Taxila – It was the capital of the Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara and a centre of learning.

Taxila lies some 35 km (22 miles) north-west of Rawalpindi, near Wah on the way to Peshawar, and is world famous for archeaological sites dating back to the 5th century BC. The Heavy Mechanical Complex and the associated the Heavy Forge Factory, and the Heavy Industries Taxila facility [the former Heavy Rebuild Factory], are located in Taxila.

Exploring Taxila is a multi-dimensional experience.

The richness and variety of the famed Gandhara sculpture is bound to attract your attention. There are many images of Buddha, in stone and stucco and numerous panels depicting all the important stages of the great Sage’s life. One may also find sculptures of the world’s most impressive men of peace. Each carved bit of sculpture shows extravagant beauty and mesmerizing artistery, from colossal to miniature there are literally thousands of such master peices in this collection. To find the difference between the Greek-Roman counterparts and the Gandhara masterpieces will be of great challenge to you.

Then there are the three distinct cities, which are nicely preserved. With your imagination sided by the carved people who inhabit these cities, you will have little difficulty in picturing crowds on the well-laid-out streets, families in spacious houses, priests in the towering stupas and royalty in great palaces.

To welcome you there, are stone men and women who will receive you with open arms in Taxila.

Ancient city, northwestern Pakistan.
Taxila is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.
Taxila was the ancient capital of the western Punjab.

Anxient City, northwestern Pakistan

Taxila – Its ruins, including temples and a fortress, lie just northwest of Rawalpindi
Taxila, the “City of Stones,” was once a flourishing city along the trade routes of central Asia

At Taxila, You can see the great Buddha. His eyes will gaze upon you till you find yourself gripped by the feeling of awe. Other people whom you can meet at Taxila are, Alexander of Macedonia, Asoka the famous Buddhist king and Kanishka. You’ll find their imprints all over the place.

In 327 B.C. Alexander conquered Taxila, which was the Achaemenian Empire. Later it came under Mauryan dynasty and reached a great level of development under the rule of great Asoka.

The next step in Taxila’s history was the indo-Greek descendents of the Alexander warriors. The final period is called The Gandhara period. The great Kushan Dynasty was then established in 50 A.D, and within these 200 years Taxila became the most renowned center for philosophy, art and learning. Taxila is the greatest attraction for the pilgrims and tourists coming from China and Greece. The final period of Taxila i30-Jul-2007he most successful and the greatest Gandhara civilization of last several centuries.

The earliest city of these, is known as Bhir Mound. Which was established somewhere in the sixth century B.C, whose irregular streets, cramped houses and mediocre public buildings indicate its primitive origins. Then comes the Sirkap city which is on the opposite side of Tamara stream, and was built somewhere around the 2nd century B.C. You will find a marked difference between these cities as this city was well planned.

Famous archaeological sites in the world

Taxila – For sometime, it has been the center of Buddhism, the world famous Gandhara sculpture and the center of learning and culture.
taxila_clip_image001Taxila – ancient city of northwestern Pakistan, the ruins of which are about 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Rawalpindi.

As you stroll down its streets you can call at the houses of the affluent and go slumming, as it were, in the more crowded sections where dwelt the common man of the dim and misty past. Note the fortification of wall, the long, straight and impressive main street, the Royal palace, an Apsidal Temple and the shrine of the double headed eagle. Sirsukh the most modern city of them was built by Kushan kings in the first century A.D. It is’nt fully excavated as yet but is clearly, a well-fortified and well-laid-out city. This city is patterned after the Central Asian cities, and is complete with suburbs.

In addition to these cities, there are many monasteries and stupas which have been excavated all along the Taxila valley. Dharmarajika stupa, which is 2 miles from Taxila museum is a must see stupa. It comprises mainly of buildings, a monastery area where the monk lived and a series of small chapels. Wealth of gold, silver coins, gems, jewelry and other antiques were discovered at Dharmarajika.

Jaulian, another marvelous complex of chapels, stupas, quadrangles, and a monastery with assembly hall, store rooms, refectory, kitchen and bathrooms. At five small stupas you will see some beautiful stucco, the relives of Buddha and Bodhisattvas and supported by rows of stone elephants and lions.

Ancient capital of the western Punjab

Taxila – Sanskrit Takshashila ancient city of northwestern Pakistan, the ruins of which are about 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Rawalpindi Taxila – It was the capital of the Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara and a centre of learning.

Two miles west of Jaulian is another well-preserved monastery at Mohra Moradu. In one of the monk’s cells here was found a stupa with almost all of the details intact. At Jandial, a mile-and-a-half from Sirsukh, is an imageless temple in the classic Greek style, with sandstone columns and cornices.

Attraction for climbers is Glen of Giri, which is about three-and-half miles from Dharmarajika stupa. Atop the highest peak of the range of hills are two stupas and a fortress built in a cleft near a spring of pure, sweet water. The stucco decorations of the stupas are well worth the climb.

A visit to Taxila is worth spending your money. The men 3000 years ago knew what they were doing when they chose Taxila to built there cities. To feel the enchanting aura and to understand their full importance you’ll have to pay a visit to Taxila. It will take you to an inspiring journey of ancient civilization.