MOSQUEES

Bhopal is an exception in India, as the city has seen the successive reign of three women who have done much for the city's Islamic heritage.

Taj ul-Masjid. The begum Shah Jahan, who ruled Bhopal at the end of the ^19th century, set out to build the largest mosque in the world. Work began in 1877, but when she died thirty years later, it was still not completed. Funds dried up and the mosque remained unfinished until the 1980s. It is one of the largest in India: the two minarets that frame it are eighteen stories high and the three bulbous domes form a rather impressive ensemble. The mosque also serves as a madrasa (Koranic school).

Dhai Seedi ki Masjid. Near Taj ul-Masjid, in the courtyard of the Hamidia Hospital. This tiny mosque looks more like a watchtower than a religious building. It is the oldest mosque in Bhopal.

Jama Masjid. This white marble mosque with golden spires was built under the aegis of the first begum of Bhopal, Qudsia, in 1837. Located in the old city, the serenity of the place contrasts with the bustle of the nearby bazaar.

Moti Masjid. Each queen of Bhopal has her own mosque. This one was built by the begum Sikander Jahan, daughter of Qudsia, in 1860. Its name means Pearl Mosque, perhaps in reference to the one in Agra. Architecturally, its style is strongly copied on the Jama Masjid of Delhi, with its facade in red ochre inlaid with white marble.