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Description: | Pencil drawing of the Jami Masjid or congregational mosque at Bijapur in modern-day Karnataka by George Boyd (1800-1850) dated between 1821 and 1844. This is one of 95 drawings (90 folios), chiefly of landscapes and monuments in the Deccan, West India and Afghanistan made during that period.
Originally named Vijayapura, or the ‘City of Victory’, Bijapur was established during the reign of the Chalukyan dynasty of Kalyani between the 10th and 11th centuries. It became the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty when Yusuf Adil Khan declared himself ruler of an independent sultanate in 1489. His descendent, Ali Adil Shah I (r. 1557-1579), commenced construction of this congregational mosque in the mid-sixteenth century, but it was not completed until 1686. This is the only mosque in the Deccan to follow the Arab or hypostyle plan. It comprises a large enclosed courtyard with a covered sanctuary on one side abutting the 'qibla' wall that indicates the direction of Mecca for prayer. Seventy-five magnificent arches, finely decorated with incised plasterwork, support the roof of the courtyard. The mosque is still used for worship tdoay. Inside there is a beautiful copy of the Quran, the book of holy Muslim scriptures, written in gold on paper. | License: | http://www.bl.uk/services/copy/permission.html | Rights holder: | British Library | Source: | Collect Britain | Creator: | Boyd, George (1800-1850) | Identifier: | http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/personal... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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