Buland Darwaza
The Buland Darwaza ( Hindi बुलन्द दरवाज़ा , Urdu بُلند دروازه= "Big gate") at the Friday mosque of Fatehpur Sikri ( Uttar Pradesh ) is the largest gate construction in India and one of the largest in the world. The gate is one of the most distinctive structures of Mughal architecture .
history
The gate was built on behalf of the Mughal Mogul Akbar in 1572/73 to celebrate the submission of the Sultanate of Gujarat as part of the Friday Mosque (Jama Masjid) in the capital Fatehpur Sikri , which he had recently founded .
architecture
- Stone material
The core of the south-facing gate building , approx. 41 m high and accessible from the outside via a monumental 42-step and approx. 12.50 m high staircase, consists of fired bricks ; these were clad with smoothly polished slabs of reddish or yellowish sandstone. There are also a few white marble incrustations . All stones come from nearby quarries.
- Floor plan and elevation
The outside plan is trapezoidal; the inside, however, is like a hall - their Dreiportaligkeit reminiscent of the well in the Islamic architecture known triumphal arch scheme . While the outer middle part is almost entirely taken up by a high portal frame ( pischtak ) with an inner portal arch ( iwan ) , the two side parts are divided by differently designed galleries . All components are raised by small dome pavilions ( chhatris ) ; in addition, four small pillar points (guldastas) protrude into the air in the corners .
- Building decor
In addition to the architectural structure, there are a few abstract, geometric decor elements:
- a frame surrounding the portal arch on all sides, the three surfaces of which are provided with calligraphic inscription bands
- two lotus rosettes in the upper spandrels of the portal arch
- a lucky decoration of upturned vases or jugs ( kalashas ) in the portal arch
inscription
One of the calligraphic inscriptions on the portal reads:
- “Jesus, the son of Mary, said: The world is a bridge - go over, but do not build a house on it. He who has hope for a day may also hope for eternity. The world lasts an hour - spend it in prayer. The rest is unknown. "
See also
literature
- EW Smith: Mughal Architecture of Fathpur Sikri. Archaeological Survey of India, Allahabad 1894-97.
- S. Jabir Raza: Inscriptions on the Monuments of Akbar. In: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. Vol. 53 (1992), pp. 244-250.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Buland Darwaza - inscription text (English)
- ↑ Joachim Jeremias : Unknown Jesus words. Gütersloher Verlagshaus 1990. ISBN 978-3579003764 .
Coordinates: 27 ° 5 ′ 39.5 ″ N , 77 ° 39 ′ 46 ″ E