‘Sinking’ Mughal-era mosque attracts visitors!

Imagine a monument sinking one centimeter every year, isn’t it an amusing fact to know? Of course it is. This is information is something that many people are unaware of, even you yourself might be.

Well, this Masjid lies in the north of Pakistan in the district of Nowshera, NWFP. It is known neither for its marvelous architecture, towering minarets, sizable capacity, or its rich history. On the contrary, sheikh Akhund Panju Baba mosque, or the ‘sinking mosque’ in Akbarpura, is known for descending annually in its muddy ground with no signs of breakdown. This has been reported in Daily Times on 13th of January 2019.

Locals claim that the mosque’s hall has been sinking by one centimeter every year. This very fact is the reason why numerous visitors come and explore it. Despite the mosque slowly caving in each year, it is still in good condition. Surprisingly, the building has neither developed any cracks nor any signs of breaking down.

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The mosque, unique in its own way, is named after sheikh Akhund Panju Baba. The saint prayed and taught his pupils in the mosque. It was built during the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar over 400 years ago. Since then, it has sunk approximately over 1.2 meters into the ground.

According to a writer, Mir Ahmed; Akbar came to Akbarpura along with his forces to meet the saint. There was no drinking water for the forces and their horses and when the saint prayed to Allah (SWT), a spring appeared and still exists in the mosque even today. There and then, the Mughal king decided to construct a mosque for Akhund Panju Baba.

Malik Waqar, an engineer serving in the Communication and Works (C&W) department and an assistant director, Iqbal Shah, stated that the mosque was going down in a uniform manner. According to them, the exact reason could be ascertained once the soil of the ground where the mosque was built was tested scientifically.

The area where the masjid is located is in the Pakistani village of Akbarpura, which lies roughly 21 km northeast of Peshawar and is part of Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. This village is named after the 3rd Mughal Emperor Abu’l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar who reigned from the year 1556 to 1605. Akbar enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the Indian Subcontinent. His reign flourished with science and a strong economy. It is because of Akbar that the Persian Islamic culture began to merge and blend with indigenous Indian elements, and a distinct Indo-Persian culture emerged characterized by Mughal style arts, painting, and architecture.

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Masha’Allah all this is by the will of Allah (SWT). This interesting fact about the mosque is alarming for one to know the first time, you might have been surprised too! Let others know and make them also aware. Also, be sure to check out the best app for muslim prayer times.