Kali Masjid, Bidar

Kali Masjid, Bidar
Kali Masjid, Bidar
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Location
Location	Bidar, Karnataka
Country	India
Geographic coordinates	17.9099132°N 77.5121196°W

Kali Masjid is a mosque in the town of Bidar, in the Indian state of Karnataka.[1]

History

The mosque bears no inscription, and thus, the exact date of its construction is unknown. However, from the style of its construction, it was probably built in the first half of the 16th century, during the early Barid Shahi period.[1]

Description

The mosque is located to the south-west of the Bidar Railway Station. There is also a well within the premises, which is a later addition.[1]

Kali Masjid, viewed from the south-western side

Exterior

The mosque is built of trap masonry laid in lime. The façade has three arched openings, and is flanked by two incomplete minarets. The minarets were either unfinished, or destroyed by vandalism at some later date. The minarets are octagonal in shape and rise from square bases.[1]

Above the arches are two bands of polished hornblende in the form of a frieze. An inscription was probably present here, detailing the date of completion of the mosque and its founder. Above this are the brackets which support the chajja.[1]

A trefoil patterned parapet wall rises above the structure. This parapet only survives at the side and back walls.[1]

A dome on a square base rises above the western end of the building, right above the mihrab. The square base of the dome has open arches on all four sides, similar to the tomb of Ali Barid Shah. This chimney-like dome above the mihrab is similar to the domes in Al-Zaytuna Mosque and other mosques in North Africa.[2]

Interior

The mosque is divided into six bays by the means of pillars. The interior measures 45 feet 10 inches by 35 feet. The prayer niche has a decagonal base.[1]

References

Yazdani, Ghulam (1947). Bidar, Its History and Monuments. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 196–197.
Yazdani, Ghulam (1933). Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions (PDF). Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press. p. 2.

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[:0-1] Yazdani, Ghulam (1947). Bidar, Its History and Monuments. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 196–197.

[2] Yazdani, Ghulam (1933). Annual Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions (PDF). Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press. p. 2.