A thread on the dangers being faced by a 15th century dargah in Delhi's Sheikh Sarai area.
A message from a local that this non ticketed monument is being used as a park for playing cricket, cards and general adda baazi took me there last week. 1/
In 2016 I had visited this dargah for my book The Forgotten Cities of Delhi and written:
"This dargah is by far the prettiest I have seen. It’s like a vermillion-mark of spirituality on the surrounding area. Though very small, it is exquisite and very well preserved."
Photo 2016
Sheikh Yusuf Qattal was a disciple of Qazi Jalaluddin Lahori & came from Lahore to Delhi.
This tomb with attached mosque was built by
Hazrat Sheikh Alauddin, the grandson of Baba Farid Ganj e Shakkar for Sheikh Yusuf Qattal in the reign of Sultan Sikander Lodi in 1497 AD.
It has a small dome, measuring 18 feet 2 square inches, supported by twelve pillars, which are filled in between by pierced exquisite stone screens with geometric designs while the pavilion and lattice screens are of red sandstone with a lime mortar dome.
A small unused mosque stands closeby. It is in a shabby condition. Being made worse as it's a non ticketed space for use by locals as they deem fit
There are ruins of a building at the entrance, which may have been a khanqah or madarsa. It must have been very elegant and attractive when it was built.
The cricket balls have already claimed one screen as a victim.
If we don't wake up and spread awareness or take care it won't be long before this so far well preserved tomb becomes a ruin.
My job as a chronicler of Delhi's monuments which I have recorded for posterity in #delhitrilogy published by @HarperCollinsIN is to create awareness about what we stand to lose
The elderly locals revere him as Dada Pir & make offerings on Thurs.
We have to sensitise youngsters
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Sher dor Madrasa, Samarqand~
Students going to universities or colleges today might wonder at the presence of two tigers chasing deers on the entrance of an educational institution.
But when Yalangtush Bakhodur, the military governor of the city, built this madrasa in Samarqand's… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
If Ulugh Beg's madrasa had emphasised star's & geometric designs showcasing his interest in astronomy, Yalangtush Bakhodur re-emphasised seeking knowledge.
Not just seeking knowledge but seeking it as aggressively as a tiger hunts its prey.
This gives the madrasa its name Sher… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
This madrasa was built after demolishing Ulugh Beg's khanqah on that spot.
The design is very similar to Ulugh Beg's madrasa with double storeyed interior for classes and hostel rooms for the students.
I can only dream & imagine what it must be like to study in such a beautiful… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Shah Jahan gave orders for building a fort in Delhi in 1639AD and entered the “Qila e Mubarak”, as it was named on June 15, 1648. While the fort was being erected, he also had the city “Shahjahanabad” built around it. He encouraged his wives, sons, daughters and nobles to build… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Once Shah Jahan began living in the Qila and the settlers in Shahjahanabad grew in number, he felt the need for a congregational mosque bigger than existing ones.
The location chosen thus was a hillock called Pahari Bhojala, at a distance of 1,000 yards (0.91km) from the Qila.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
On October 6, 1650, the foundation stone was laid for a Jama Masjid by the emperor himself and it was built under the supervision of Sa’dullah Khan, the prime minister, and Fazil Khan, the khansaman or the head of the imperial household establishments.
It was built in six years… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Who hasn't heard of Hyderabad's Char Minar? It was built in the 16th century and defines the city.
But recently I saw another Char Minar ( pronounced Chor Minar in the local language) in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
This is not to be confused with Delhi's Chor Minar where chor meant… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Is there a connection?
Quite possible because the builder of this char minar was a rich merchant living & trading in Bukhara, who it is possible saw it in India on one of his business trips and got inspired.
“Chor-Minor“ (“Four minarets“) was built in
1807 by a rich Turkmen… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
There is a small yard surrounded by hujras ( Cells) around the madrasa and a small mosque in form of a columnaded ai an.
madrasah includes a small yard surrounding the main building.
One of the towers contains a staircase leading to the second floor of the domed hall. It housed… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Clay tablets used in Mesopotamia in 3BC. The calamus, triangle shaped instrument was used to make characters in moist clay.
Pic -Clay tablets with cuneiform script 1/
At Nineveh, 22,000 tablets found, dating from the 7c BC- the archive &library of the kings of Assyria
In Ancient Egypt, papyrus was used for writing & first evidence from about 2400 BC
A calamus, the stem of a reed sharpened to a point, or bird feathers were used for writing 2/
Papermaking started in China about AD 105, using mulberry and other bast fibres along with fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste
paper used for wrapping & padding was used in China since 2BC paper used as a writing medium only became widespread by the 3C 3/
Takht e Marmar ( the marble throne) room was built on orders of Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1797-1834) Golestan palace, Teheran, Iran
It's breath taking -adorned with painting, calligraphy, stucco, carving, enamel,mirror & tile work, glass windows 1/
Actual Takht itself in the middle of the room comprises of 65 yellow Yazd sculpted & carved marble pieces, designed by Mirza Baba Nagash Bashi ( head painter of Qajar Art).
Mohammed Ebrahim the head stone Mason along with several experts supervised it's construction. 2/
Coronation of Qajar kings were held here on this terrace.
The last coronation held here was of the self proclaimed king Reza Khan Pehalvi in 1925. 3/
#2 in our series on temples of Delhi built in Mughal Era
This is the Shivalaya of Dhummi Lal Khanna, built in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar II in Katra Neel in Old Delhi / Shahjahanabad
Text and idea @SamDalrymple123
#MughalMandirs have been studied significantly less than any other type of mandir in the subcontinent - suprising given that the dynasty's other monuments have been studied more than any other aspect of Indian Art history, giving impression that Mughal Mandirs just didn't exist
2
around 100 Mughal era mandirs survive today in Old Delhi.Reason for their neglect is that they're often hard to find,hidden behind high walls. None of the traditional mandirs there are surmounted by a high shikhara, instead possessing the lotus domes found elsewhere in Mughal art