Moti Masjid – The Pearl Mosque
Shah Jahan raised the Moti Masjid also called as Pearl Mosque. The name of the mosque was given seeing the brilliance of the mosque. It seems to look like a white pearl. It took almost 6 years to complete this structure. It was started in the year 1648 and was successfully completed in the year 1654. The expenses were around 3 lakhs.
Architectural Brush of the Moti Masjid
This mosque is decorated elegantly on the footnotes of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It is constructed on the slopes from east to the west. There are side cloisters for the courtyard of this mosque. There are arched depressions and the main portico in this mosque. The roof of the sanctuary is made of 3 globular domes that are made of white marbles. They are made to rest on red sandstone walls. You get to see the Hindu style arched kiosks by the side of the walls. There are seven bays that are separated into many passageways that stand on the berths and lobed arches. Shah Jahan has made use of the white marble for architecture and the exteriors are made of red sandstone.
Other Specific Details of the Mosque
The mosque is entirely covered of marble. There is a tank that is located at the center. There is a sundial that is composed of an octagonal marble pillar. This is the pillar that is situated in one corner of this sundial. The pergola surrounds the courtyard in the north, south and the east of the twelve-sided pillars. You can find the cusped arches in the prayer hall. The main entrance of the mosque faces the east and it is huge and interesting. The other 2 subsidiary gates on the northern and southern side of the building are not so attractive. They have arches and three-square chhatris boast each other.
Location of Moti Masjid
It is situated to the north of the Diwan-i-Am complex in the Agra Fort. It is not a risk for you to reach this mosque from Agra. Agra is a major tourist destination of India and hence is well linked by air, road and rail. You can visit this place from any part of India.
