It is not a huge Mosque but it is an old Mosque
Masjid Mahabat Khan: An elegant but neglected legacy
By Shaheen Buneri
Mahabat Khan, the governor of Peshawar under the Mughal emperors, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb, might not have thought that the elegant mosque that he built in the heart of the then Peshawar in 1670 AD would be so brazenly neglected by the succeeding rulers of the region that it would lose its elegance, splendour and magnificence so rapidly.
The grand and splendid Mahabat Khan Mosque is a rare specimen of the Mughal architecture. The devotion and sincerity of its builder and designers is visible from its beautifully decorated walls, spacious courtyard, artistically erected minarets and skillfully constructed dome.
The glorious mosque is constructed of red bricks, lime mortar that is composed of lime, surkhi (grinded bricks) and jute fibres while its final coat is composed of pure lime plaster.
The colourful fresco and tile decorations, which adorn both the interior and exterior of the building, present a fascinating view. Unfortunately now little remains of it. However, watching closely, the work of golden ‘kashikari’ in the interior portion of the ‘mehrab’ and pillars leave the visitors with a mixed feeling of pleasure and wonder.
The vagaries of time are merciless, but the acts of the dead human conscience are crueller. Mahabat Khan built a rare piece of art and Islamic devotion, but the rampant commercialisation, brazen materialism and continuous negligence of both the local people and the successive rulers of the province left it defaced and disfigured.
The construction of shopping centres, houses and markets around it during the last few decades have caused a huge loss to its beauty and splendour. The blind race for money and material gains did not care for the significance and meaning of the spiritual and historical lesson which the mosque embodies in its edifice.
At first, little attention was paid to its conservation and preservation. However, the little efforts undertaken for this purpose were ill-designed and without the knowledge of the real reasons of the deterioration of the mosque’s building.
Muhammad Khalid, an architect and conservation consultant at present busy in the restoration work of the historical structure, told this scribe that the main reason for the decaying condition of the mosque’s walls was the dampness from the under-ground that had badly affected the brick work and plaster.
"In 1970, Yahya Khan, the former president of Pakistan, visited the mosque. The local people complained to him about its rotting walls. On his directives, red marble tiles were used in the lower parts of the walls without knowing the fact that the moisture would directly surge up to the upper portions and the dome. Later on, the City authorities and the provincial government repeated the blunder and used white marble tiles in its courtyard that prevented water evaporation.
In 1980, the Shinwari Plaza was constructed in front of the mosque’s building without developing a proper drainage system in it due to which all the rain water stored on the mosque roof and caused immense damage to it and the ceiling," he explained.
Khalid maintained that the mosque’s fresco designed in water colours made of natural minerals and vegetable colours had started falling due to the increasing dampness. A former chief minister of the province, Mehtab Abbasi, took keen interest in the restoration work of the mosque and sanctioned Rs 7 million for the purpose. The military government continued with the project and formally launched it.
“Under this project, we are working on the restoration of the mosque’s lost glory. The marbles fixed in the walls have been removed, the damaged plaster restored, the roof terrace repaired and a two feet deep damp proof course set across the walls so as to stop the spread of moisture,” the architect said.
Muhammad Sanaullah, the project director, said that conservation was a very hard and tedious job. It needed sufficient time, money and expertise, he added.
“We are trying to restore the mosque’s glory by using the same media and materials that were used by its original builders. As every one does not understand this delicate task, we have invited experts from Lahore. The project will take three more years to be completed,” he maintained.
The project director urged both the government and the people to play their active role in the conservation and restoration work of the grand mosque by removing all encroachments and illegal buildings which were affecting the mosque’s beauty and grandeur.
The restoration of the historical and cultural heritage of the city is the crying need of the hour. Will the government and concerned authorities recognise this reality by launching projects to preserve the historical buildings and monuments of the city for the posterity?
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