Badshahi Mosque

The Badshahi Mosque faces Lahore Fort across the Hazuri Bagh, and stands a few hundred metres from Gurdwara Dera Sahib.

Built under Aurangzeb and completed in 1673, it was for centuries the largest mosque in the world, and it remains one of the largest. The red sandstone façade, the three marble domes and a courtyard that holds tens of thousands make it the defining image of Mughal Lahore.

It appears on a Sikh itinerary because of what stands around it. When Ranjit Singh held Lahore, the mosque was within his power and it was left standing; his own samadhi and the gurdwara marking Guru Arjan Dev's martyrdom sit within sight of it. Sikh, Mughal and colonial Lahore occupy one square of ground here, and the mosque is one corner of it.

Visitors remove shoes and cover their heads, and women should have a scarf; the courtyard stone gets extremely hot in summer, so early morning or late afternoon is easier. It is a working mosque, and yatris visit as guests.

Konnect Yatra groups take the mosque together with the fort, Dera Sahib and the samadhi, travelling with our own transport and staff.

What a visit involves

A visit to the courtyard and, where permitted, the prayer hall. Shoes are removed at the steps and heads covered; women should have a scarf. The scale is the experience — the courtyard holds tens of thousands, and reading that is not the same as standing in it.

Allow an hour within the old-city half-day.

Before you go

• The courtyard stone becomes painfully hot in summer. We schedule early morning for exactly this reason, and socks help.
• It is an active mosque. Avoid prayer times, keep photography discreet, and follow our staff's guidance.
• Shoe deposit is at the gate and there is a small charge.

Getting there from your hotel

Across the Hazuri Bagh from Lahore Fort and a short walk from Dera Sahib, so it is taken on foot as part of the same visit. Konnect Yatra groups travel by private coach into the old city with our own staff.