| Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi Aurangzeb's Mosque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Functional |
| Location | |
| Location | Varanasi, India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
  Location in Uttar Pradesh, India | |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°18′55″N 83°01′04″E / 25.31534°N 83.01781°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Aurangzeb |
The Alamgir Mosque or Aurangzeb's Mosque is a mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.[1][2]
The mosque is located at a prominent site above the Panchaganga Ghat. The ghat has broad steps that go down to the Ganges.[3]
Aurangzeb conquered Varanasi in 1669 and built a magnificent mosque[4] and named it as Alamagir Mosque in the name of his own honoury title "Alamgir", which he had adopted after becoming the emperor of the Mughal empire.[5]
The minarets couldn't withstand the test of time and in the 19th century, an English scholar James Prinsep had to restore them. In 1948 one of the minarets collapsed killing a few people around the time of the floods. Later the government pulled down the other minaret due to security reasons.[6][7]
The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture.[6] The mosque has high domes and minarets.[8][7] Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns.[7] The Panchaganga Ghat where the mosque is situated is where five streams are said to join. In October lamps are lighted on top of a bamboo staff as a mark of guidance to the ancestors.[8]
