Bhong Mosque

Bhong Mosque is located in Tehsil Sadiqabad of Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. This mosque built by Raees Ghazi Muhammad over a period of fifty years.

History

Construction of the Bhong Masjid began in 1932. In the year 1950, when water-logging and salinity started damaging the building of this mosque. So the main building martyred and a platform about 20 feet high was built to rebuilt the mosque on it. Thus the design of the mosque changed many times due to which it took fifty years.

Red stone, marble, sandstone, grey stone and black stone imported from Italy, Hungary and Austria for construction. Thousands of artisans from Karachi, Rajasthan and other parts of the subcontinent called in to cut and carve these stones, make flowers on tiles, engrave and calligraphy, do fine and fine work on sandal wood, engrave and make gold flowers.

Experts combined the architecture of Lahore, Iran and Turkey with the architecture of Spain and other western countries in the design of this mosque, setting an example of excellent East-West collaboration.

When Raees Ghazi Muhammad died in 1975, his Crown Prince Raees Shabbir Muhammad carried on his father’s work. Construction of the mosque completed and opened for worshipers in 1982. The mosque also has a large study center, a madrassa and a hujra where Raees Ghazi Muhammad used to worship.

At present there is a capacity of about two and a half thousand worshipers. There is also a separate small mosque “Juma Masjid” for women.

The Bhong Mosque awarded the Aga Khan Award in 1986 in the field of construction. In 2004, the government of Pakistan issued a stamp with a picture of the mosque.