|
|
The Khirki mosque was built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, who
was the Prime Minister of Feroze Shah Tughlaq in 1380. The mosque gets its
name from its exquisite windows or 'khirkees'. Famous for its heavy stone
lattice windows, "The Mosque of Windows", lies close to the site
of Jahanpanah ,
Delhi's fourth city, 4-km east of
Qutub Minar and
13-km south of Connaught
Circus .
The arched windows with latticework keep the mosque well ventilated. When
the sunlight gently falls through them inside the
mosque it creates interesting designs on
the floor. Two covered passages go across it and intersect each other,
bang in the middle, at right angles and divide the courtyard into four
squares. The roof is supported by massive monolithic columns, which were
typical of that period. Sloping towers flank the gateways and prayer
niche.
Close to the mosque and worth a visit are the remains of the ruined
fourth city of Delhi, Jahanpanah, including the
high Bijai Mandal Platform and the Begampur
Mosque with its multiplicity of domes.