Humanyu’s Mosque, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Agra city is a historic city. It is also mentioned in Mahabharata. Badal Singh established his kingdom here and built a fort. Sikandar Lodhi made it his capital and gave it a new look. After Babur, it reached the peak of fame. Tourists get enchanted by traveling here. Humanyu was the second ruler of the Mughal Empire who, being religious, was a master of skillful discernment. He had the title of Insan-I-Kamil in the royal family. Humanyu was a courageous, fighting and brave person who did not give up. Was fond of reading, and believed in astrology.
This mosque was built on his orders after his coronation in 1530 AD. This mosque is known as Humanyu Mosque.
The Humayun Masjid situated in the village of Kachhpura, the north-west of Mehtab Bagh. This mosque is surrounded by slum area and having narrow approach though easily can be accessed.
It’s having a large rectangular courtyard, and mosque is also built on rectangular plan. Main prayer hall can be accessed through five archways. Its western Wall is having total five mihrabs and the central one or main Mihrab is grand having Persian inscription fixed in the central arch above the Mihrab and one on the left wall and a Member to address the sermon. Main Qibla side above the central Mihrab there are three arched windows one below the centre point of the arch and two either sides. Its roof was decorated with three almost flat domes, one of which has collapsed.
According to the Persian inscription which bears the record that it was financed by the Shaikh Zain Hawafi, who was a noble, a poet and he was a friend of emperor Babur. It was built to serve the religious purposes of mughals and royals. Who had founded gardens and set up their residences in this locality, it was called mini Kabul by the local people. It’s built by moulded bricks and exterior is protected with white lime mortar plaster. The central archway is grand which is hiding the central dome behind on the roof, quite similar to the Begumpuri mosque in Delhi and Sharqi Mosque of Jaunpur. Each wing has double bays, in two corridors, thus having four chambers on either side. All these were roofed by cupolas which are supported by the arches. The southern wing is damaged. It has no stone work, it seems that it was ornamented by glazed tiles or stucco work as significant by the star shapes and geometrical figures at the vertical surface of the main central entrance archway which is the facade having the clear traces. It also displays the Islamic architecture of Lodi period and similar to the Kabuli Bagh Panipat. Humanyu’s astronomical observatory, large step-well and monolithic 12 steps flight ruins known as Gyarah Sidhi are located close to this mosque.
It can be visited during the day hours and there is no entry fee. It’s an active place of worship so visitors have to remove their footwears. It’s a major attraction among the history buffs and tourists having archaeological interest. It’s a protected monument under the supervision of Archaeological Survey of India. For all pictures captured during the visit can be visualized in the link mentioned below.
