The Atala Mosque is a 15th century mosque located in Jaunpur, India that is notable for blending Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. It was constructed under Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi in the Indo-Islamic Shaqui style, which combines elements of Islamic mosques with local Hindu temple designs. Notable features include multi-arched domed gateways resembling Egyptian structures, columns and motifs commonly seen in Hindu temples, and an interior prayer hall facing a courtyard within a colonnaded veranda. The mosque is a fine example of the cultural exchanges that occurred during this period of Islamic rule in North India.

1. ATALA MASJID
THE ATALA MOSQUE IS A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF INDO-
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE, SPECIFICALLY THE SHARQI
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. THIS STYLE COMBINES ELEMENTS OF
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE WITH LOCAL HINDU ARCHITECTURAL
TRADITIONS, RESULTING IN A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL BLEND.
THE ATALA MOSQUE IS KNOWN FOR ITS UNIQUE
BLENDING OF HINDU AND ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
STYLES.THIS IS EVIDENT IN THE USE OF COLUMNS AND
MOTIFS COMMONLY SEEN IN HINDU TEMPLE. THE
MOSQUE’S ARCHITECTURE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE
CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC EXCHANGES THAT OCCURRED
DURING THAT PERIOD

2. WHOSE FOUNDATIONS WEREPREPARED
ON THE SITE OF THE
HINDU THEMPLE TO ATALA DEVI BY FIRUZ
SHAH THUGLUQ,WAS
NOT BUILT UNTIL 810/1408 UNDER IBRAHIM
SHARQI.
MIHRAB
> THE MOSQUE WAS CONSTRUCTED
DURING THE REIGN OF SULTAN
IBRAHIM SHARQI IN THE LATE 14TH TO
EARLY 15TH CENTURY,MAKING IT
APPROXIMATELY 600 YEARS OLD

3. F
E
A
T
U
R
E
S
•THE CENTRAL BAY OF THE WEST IWAN COVERED BY A
LARGE DOME WHICH IS CONCEALED FROM THE COURTYARD
BY A TALL PYRAMIDAL GATEWAY RESEMBLING THE EGYPTIAN
PROPYLON, IS THE SPECIAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
JAUNPUR STYLE UNDER THE SHARQI SULTANS.
•THE NORTH, EAST, AND SOUTH SIDES HAVE IWANS MADE UP
OF FIVE AISLES WITH PILLARS IN TWO LEVELS. THE OUTER
AISLES ON THE GROUND FLOOR ARE TURNED INTO ROWS OF
CELLS FACING THE STREETS.
THE PROPYLON GATEWAY
•IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH SIDE IS AN ARCHWAY, WITH A
SMALLER PROPYLON ON THE OUTSIDE.
•THERE ARE DOMES OVER THE NORTH AND SOUTH GATES, AND
EACH OF THE SIDE SECTIONS HAS A DOME OVER THE CENTRAL
AREA, WITH GATEWAYS FACING THE COURTYARD.
THE IWAN

4. THE MAIN PROPYLON IS 22.9 M. HIGH, THE DOME
BEHIND BEING ONLY 19.5 M. HIGH, AND 16.8 M. WIDE
AT ITS BASE.
INSIDE EACH GATEWAY, THERE’S A BIG ARCHED AREA
WITH DECORATIVE SPEARHEAD PATTERNS, SIMILAR TO
KHALJI BUILDINGS IN DELHI. IN FRONT OF THE DOME,
THERE ARE ARCHED OPENINGS, AND THE MAIN
ENTRANCES ARE BELOW THESE OPENINGS. DOME
THE MOSQUE IS PRIMARILY CONSTRUCTED USING
LOCALLY SOURCED BRICKS AND LIMESTONE. THE USE
OF THESE MATERIALS
ALLOWED FOR INTRICATE CARVING AND DETAILING.

5. PLAN
THE MOSQUE HAS A RECTANGULAR PRAYER
HALL THAT FACES A BIG SQUARE COURTYARD.
AROUND THE COURTYARD, THERE’S A TWO-
STORY VERANDA WHERE MERCHANTS AND
VISITORS STAY.
INSIDE THE COURTYARD, THERE’S
A TWO-STORY COLONNADE ON
THREE SIDES. THE UPPER LEVEL
WAS PROBABLY FOR WOMEN.

6. THE DOME OF THE
MAIN SANCTUARY IS
CARRIED ON
SQUINCHES.
ALTHOUGH IT IS
RAISED ON AN
OCTAGONAL DRUM,
INSIDE THE
SANCTUARY IS A
STONE MIHRAB NICHE
WITH A RIBBED SEMI-
DOME, FLANKED BY
THE STONE MINBAR.
THE DECORATION
CONSISTS MAINLY OF
CARVED FLORAL
PATTERNS.
THE GALLERY WINGS HAVE TWO FLOORS AND
FOCUS ON DOMED ROOMS WITH A MIHRAB AND
COURTYARD ENTRANCE. THEY HAVE FLAT
CEILINGS HELD UP BY TWIN COLUMNS AND BEAMS
WITH BRACKETS. THE THREE DOMED ROOMS IN
THE PRAYER HALL PROJECT BEYOND THE QIBLA
WALL AND HAVE CORNER TURRETS LIKE DELHI’S
TUGHLUQID ARCHITECTURE..

7. Sources
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA
https://muslimheritage.com/atala-mosque-jaunpur/
Michell, George (ed). Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social
Meaning. London: Thames and Hudson, 272.
Nath, R. 1978. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi, Abhinav Publications,
98-100.
Williams, John A. and Caroline. 1980. Architecture of Muslim India. Set 4: The
Sultanate of Jaunpur about 1360-1480. Santa Barbara, California: Visual
Education, Inc.