Neevin Masjid
Besides having monuments of the Mughal and British eras, Lahore also has a monument that dates back to the Lodhi period. The Lodhi dynasty ruled Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. Lodhis replaced the Sayyid dynasty and established their rule in 1451. It was in the 1460s when Zulfiqar Khan, under the governorship of Haybat Khan, constructed Neevin Masjid. Neevin Masjid is situated near the Lahori/Lohari gate. It is present along a small street named Kucha Dogaran.
The specialty of the Neevin masjid lies in its foundation, 25 feet below average street level. It has a courtyard with an ablution area. The main white building has three small domes. It is divided into three fractions, each fraction of equal length. The two minarets stand tall, 25 feet under average street level. The minarets were destroyed in the earthquake of the 1900s. Thus, they were again constructed. The white-colored mosque is simple in its structure. For sewerage and drainage, the entire building has two underground tanks called “Gharki.” Dr. Abdullah Chugtai argues about the origin of this mosque.
According to him, it was built after demolishing a temple. So the foundation and structure remained unchanged. He provided many examples of temples in the sub-continent with foundations below the average ground level. Moreover, it is the first of its kind to be constructed 25 feet below the intermediate ground level in the whole sub-continent.
Neevin masjid was marked safe during the Sikh desecration campaign of the mosques. Unfortunately, the monument, which is 500 years old, is not under the custodianship of the government. Nor funds are provided for it. The Imam and the locals make arrangements for the upkeeping of the mosque.
