The Taj of Gujarat - Alif Khan Masjid - Dholka

The Alif Khan mosque, also referred to as Alkif Khan Bhukai or Khan-ki masjid, is a massive brick building, dating from the period of Sultan Mahmud Begarha (r.1458-1511) and constructed by Alif Khan Bhukai, a childhood friend of Mahmud Begarha. The original structure consisted of two square solid minarets, one on each end of the façade. The mosque’s interior consists of three square halls, each enclosed with a massive dome. The interior measures 150 by 42 feet. The central mihrab, or prayer niche, is flanked by two windows decorated with perforated stone tracery. Reference Kitaabein 1. The Muhammadan Architecture of Ahmadabad by James Burgess (1896) : Yeh kitab Alif Khan Masjid ke decorations aur me’mari ke bare mein muhim tafseelat faraham karti hai. Is mein masjid ke plaster work aur calligraphy ka zikr hai, jo us waqt ke Gujarat ke me’mari andaaz ko darust karta hai. 2. Archaeological Survey of India Reports : ASI ke reports mein Alif Khan Masjid ko Monument of National Importance ke tor par tasleem kiya gaya hai. Yeh reports masjid ki taareekhi aur me’mari ahmiyat ko wazeh karte hain. 3. Gujarat: A Cultural History" by Francoise Mallison : Yeh kitab Gujarat ke taareekhi aur saqafati pehluon par roshni daalti hai, jismein Dholka ke taareekhi maqamat, jaise Alif Khan Masjid, ka zikr hai. 4. Islamic Architecture of Gujarat" by Elizabeth Merklinger : Is kitab mein Gujarat ke Islami me’mari ke mukhtalif pehluon ka jaiza liya gaya hai, jismein Alif Khan Masjid ka bhi zikr hai.