The white facade
Three domes, two minarets.
Hafeezburki — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Abdul Samad khan sherwani — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ziegler175 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Mahabat Khan Mosque is a 17th-century Mughal mosque in the old city of Peshawar, named after a Mughal governor of Peshawar, Mahabat Khan. Its white marble facade is among the best-known sights in the city. It stands on what was the highest point of the old city, its two minarets rising over the crowded bazaars around it, and its courtyard is an oasis of calm. Sources differ on its date, with some giving 1630 and others 1660 to 1670. Mughal records do not mention it, while oral tradition ties it to a governor named Mahabat Khan, whom some scholars identify as Mahabat Khan Luhrasp, a noble under Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. It may live on in local memory more than in official documents. You enter a broad courtyard with a large ablution pool at its centre and arcades on either side, then see the white facade with three domes and two slim minarets. In the prayer hall superb painted decoration covers the walls and ceiling with flowers and geometric forms. This is a place of worship, so keep quiet and avoid prayer times. It is about 5 km in a straight line from modern central Peshawar. Dress modestly, women should cover their hair, and take off your shoes on entering. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Peshawar, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Three domes, two minarets.
In the middle of the court.
Flowers on the ceiling.
Old City, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Sources differ between 1630 and 1660 to 1670, but it is from the 17th century.
Check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Peshawar.