Fatehpuri Begum
Fatehpuri Begum was one of the wives of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. In Chandni Chowk, Delhi there is also a 17th-century mosque built in the memory of Fatehpuri Begum which is known as Fatehpuri Mosque (Fatehpuri Masjid). She belonged to Fatehpur Sikri and that is the reason Fatehpuri Masjid has been named after her name.
Quick Facts
- Full Name: Fatehpuri Begum
- Born: Early 16th century
- Died: Mid 16th century
- Religion: Islam
- Spouse: Shah Jahan
- Father: Not known
- Mother: Not known
- Famous as: A wife of Shah Jahan | Known for building Fatehpuri Mosque in Delhi
Fatehpuri Mosque
The Fatehpuri Mosque is located at the western end of the oldest street of Delhi, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, opposite to the Red Fort.
History of mosque
Fatehpuri Begum built the Fatehpuri Masjid in 1650. The mosque at Taj Mahal is also named after her name.
The mosque was auctioned by the British after the 1857 war to Rai Lala Chunnamal. It is said that his descendants still live in the Chunnamal haveli in Chandni Chowk, who preserved the mosque. In 1877 the government had acquired the mosque in exchange of four villages and was reinstituted back to the Muslims at the Delhi Durbar when the British allowed the Muslims back in Old Delhi. There is a similar mosque, called Akbarabadi Mosque which, built by Akbarabadi Begum, was destroyed by the Britishers.
The famous Delhi market, Khari Baoli, which is today Asia’s largest spice market, the gradually developed after the construction of the mosque.
Muslims celebrate their festival Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Zuha with great intense and enjoyment at the mosque.
Mufti Mukarram Ahmed has been the chief mufti and imam of the mosque for almost 42 years. His father Maulana Mufti Mohammad Ahmad served the mosque before him.
Architecture of mosque
The mosque is constructed by using the red sandstone. It has a fluted dome with mahapadma and kalash on the top. The mosque is guarded by by minarets, having a traditional design. It has a large prayer hall with seven-arched openings. There are single and double-storey apartments on the sides of the mosque.