Photo 1000/31(3219)

Genre: Architectural Photography

Close view of the arch of the iwan and flanking truncated minarets. India Museum no. 1462. Received from Captain Lyon 7 February 1871. Duplicate print at Photo 1001 (3219).

Lyon supplies the following description in his 'Notes to accompany a series of photographs designed to illustrate the ancient architecture of Western India. Taken for Government and described by Captain Lyon' (Geneva, 1871):

571. - Shows the front of this handsome mosque. The minarets which were formerly known as the shaking minarets of Ahmedabad were shaken too much by the earthquake of 1818 and consequently fell. The architecture cannot tail to strike the most casual observer as being more Hindu than Musulman, even the niches which with the Hindoos contained idols are introduced, but as the worshippers of the prophet could not quite allow of the images themselves being added, different devices, as in this one a tree, were carved out of the stone to take the places of the idols. It is also true that the arch is here introduced, but seems to have been added more as a symbol of the faith, than because they were wanted constructively, though it must be conceded that they give a certain grandness to the Jain style, which is certainly characteristic of the conquering race, and which the Hindoos alone would probably never have attained.