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Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque

Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
مسجد شاه دوشمشیره
The mosque in 2013
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusMosque
StatusActive
Location
LocationKabul, Kabul Province
CountryAfghanistan
Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque is located in Afghanistan
Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
Location of the mosque in Afghanistan
Geographic coordinates34°30′56″N 69°10′17″E / 34.51556°N 69.17139°E / 34.51556; 69.17139
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleAfghan Baroque
Completedc. 1920s CE
Specifications
Minaret(s)Two
MaterialsStucco

The Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque (Persian: مسجد شاه دوشمشیره, Pashto: شاه دوشمشېره جومات, lit. 'Mosque of the King of Two Swords'), is a yellow two-story mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. The mosque is situated in District 2, on Andarabi Road, just off the Kabul River and the Shah-Do Shamshira bridge in the center of the city. It was built during the reign of Amanullah Khan (1919–1929).[1]

The mosque was modelled after the Ortaköy Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.[2] The design of the mosque is quite unusual for Islamic religious architecture and its Italian decorative stucco creates an interesting effect that some describe as ‘Afghan Baroque’.[3]

Overview

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The mosque is located next to the tomb of a Mughal general, Chin Timur Khan, who was also the cousin of the central Asian conqueror Babur. Chin Timur helped conquer much of South Asia and is famous for the Battle of Khanwa, in which he took a leading role. Not far from here are the tombs of Babur and many other prominent Mughal commanders who invaded South Asia from Afghanistan and established Mughal rule over large parts of South Asia (including modern-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).

The shrine was the site of the murder of Farkhunda Malikzada on 19 March 2015.[4]

In June 2021, the mosque was fully renovated.[5]

In May 2024, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) insurgency group claimed to have assassinated Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada while he was visiting the mosque during a trip he made to Kabul, killing three of his special security guards and injuring another.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Girardet, Edward; Walter, Jonathan, eds. (1998). Afghanistan. Geneva: CROSSLINES Communications, Ltd. p. 291.
  2. ^ Ahmed, Faiz (2017). Afghanistan Rising: Islamic Law and Statecraft Between the Ottoman and British Empires. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 284. ISBN 9780674982161.
  3. ^ "Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan". GPSmyCity. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Joseph Goldstein (March 29, 2015). "Woman Killed in Kabul Transformed From Pariah to Martyr". The New York Times. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  5. ^ "Shah do Shamshira Mosque Renovated in Kabul". MUDL.
  6. ^ "3 Taliban Members Killed In Attack On Group's Leader's Guards In Kabul, Claims AFF". Afghanistan International. May 18, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
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