Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who has been a renowned name in the globe not just for his reign but also for the number of wondrous structures that he had created through his life span, the Moti Masjid in Agra was constructed for the emperor’s members of the royal court.
Though there’s no accuracy in the exact year of construction of the mosque, historians say the period would have tentatively been around 1648-1654.
Moti Masjid, which literally means a “pearl mosque” in English, was titled so for the very reason that the mosque shined bright, just like a pearl. The structure took a time of around four years to be complete, and involved an investment of around Rs. 3 lacs. The mosque comprises of a number of arcades, a main sanctuary and also some recessions that are arch-shaped. It also has a marbled sundial at one of the corners.
It also consists of domes, constructed of red sandstone and white marble and there are also some kiosks which are built with a tinge of Hindu architecture. The prime essence of the Moti Masjid comes from its extensive white marble architecture, something that became extremely popular during Shah Jahan’s tenure.