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The Mahabat Khan Mosque


The Mahabat Khan Mosque  is a 17th century mosque in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is named after the Mughal governor of Peshawar Nawab Mahabat Khan who served under Emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb and who was the grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan (who had been governor of Lahore). The name of the Masjid and the governor who built is consistently mispronounced as 'Muhabbat Khan' ('Love Khan') by the public instead of 'Mahabat Khan' ('Awe-inspiring Khan').

The Mosque was built in 1630. Its open courtyard has an ablution pool in the middle and a single row of rooms around the sides. The prayer hall occupies the west side flanked by two tall minarets. According to the turn-of-the-century Gazetteer for Pakhtunkhwa, the minarets were frequently used in Sikh times ‘as a substitute for the gallows’ The interior of the prayer hall is sheltered beneath three low fluted domes and is lavishly and colourfuly painted with floral and geometric designs.


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