Neevin Mosque —A 500-Year-Old Mosque Built 25 Feet Below Street Level
From the timeless beauty of the magnificent Badshahi Mosque to the lavishly decorated Wazir Khan Mosque, the Walled City of Lahore is home to many historically significant mosques.
In addition to the Mughal-era mosques, which are architectural masterpieces on their own, one pre-Mughal-era mosque is unique and speaks volumes for the architectural mastery of its time—the Neevin Mosque.
The Neevin Mosque is a 500-year-old mosque built 25 feet below street level in the Lahori Gate.
Read on to learn more about this masterpiece below the street level.
About Neevin Mosque
.jpg)
The Neevin Mosque is a 15th-century pre-Mughal era mosque in the Walled City of Lahore. It is renowned for its unique foundation, which lies 25 feet below street level – a feature not found in any other mosque in the subcontinent.
Historical records suggest that the mosque was commissioned by Ameer Zulfiqar Khan in the 1460s during the Lodhi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Chughtai, a renowned Pakistani researcher of Islamic art and historian, claimed in his book Masajid-e-Lahore that the Neevin Mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple. However, the ground level and structure remained unchanged.
To strengthen his argument, he further explained that ancient temples were traditionally built below the street level, which is why the Neevin Mosque has a foundation 25 feet below the street level.
Some historical references state that two wells were dug underneath its courtyard for rainwater drainage at the time of its construction.
These wells have been functional since the1460s, when the mosque was built.
The wastewater goes into these wells and is dispersed from there. However, it remains a mystery to everyone where the water eventually goes, as there are no visible seepage issues.
Location:
If you enter through Lahori Gate (or Lahori Darwaza), head towards Naya Bazaar near Chowk Matti. Then, take a turn towards Kucha Dogran, and you will find the Neevin Mosque in the middle. Alternatively, you can access it from Shah Alam Gate through Papar Mandi.
How to visit?
Neevin Mosque is tucked away in the narrow lanes of the historic Walled City of Lahore inside Lahori Gate, which can be reached by taking a taxi to the Lahori Gate and then walking from there to get to this mosque.
Its small entrance can be seen at the street, which takes you down to the mosque through a staircase.
There is no entry fee to visit the Neevin Mosque. Despite being an architectural wonder, it doesn’t attract many visitors like the Badshahi Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque.
Do note that it gets particularly busy on Fridays when devotees gather for the Jummah prayer. The best time to visit it is early in the morning or afternoon.
