| Jamali Kamali's Tomb and Mosque |
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| The Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb is situated
in the Archaeological Survey of India Park, Mehrauli,about 300
meters south of Balban's tomb. Jamali was the nom de plume of
a saint and poet, Shaikh Fazlullah who was also known as Jalal
Khan. He lived from the reign of Sultan Sikander Lodi till that
of Mughal Emperor Humayun and was a favorite of both kings.
The construction of the mosque was started around 1528-29 during
the rule of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire but was
completed during Humayun's reign. His tomb was also built in
1528-29, though he died in the year 1535-36. |
| Richly ornamented with stuccowork, the mosque
is considered to be a transition between the architectural styles
of Moth-ki-Masjid and Sher Shah's mosque. The prayer hall of
the mosque has five arched openings with the central arch higher
than the rest and is aesthetically carved with fluted pilasters
flanking it. The western wall of the mosque has niches decorated
with Quranic inscriptions. It also has a narrow gallery running
around the mosque on the second storey with three oriel windows.
The façade of the prayer hall is decorated by pendant
lotus-buds and can be seen below the parapet. There are also
octagonal towers at the rear corners of the mosque and only
a single dome surmounts the central bay. |
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| The tomb of Jamali Kamali stands within a large
courtyard in the same complex, north of the mosque. The square
chamber measures 7.6 square meters and is covered with a flat
dome. It has two marble graves, one believed to be of Jamali
and other that of Kamali (whose identity is unknown) from whom
the structure derives its name. The chamber is beautifully decorated
with phenomenal stucco decoration in the interior and blue tiling
on the exterior, including the inscribed verses composed by
Jamali. |
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