Mosque of Mariyam Zamani

       This is one of the most ancient mosques of the city.  It is situated close to the Masti Gate of the city, opposite the eastern walls of the fort.  As the inscription on the northern gateway shows, it was built in 1023 A.H. (1614 A.D.), during the reign of Jahangir, by his mother, Mariam Zamani.  According to the Ain-I-Akbari, she was the daughter of Raja Behari Mal, and sister of Raja Bhagwan Das.  The style of the building is transitional between the Pathan and Moghal.  Its massive domes, one large and two side ones, and bulky arches, are in the old Pathan style, but he gateways, the balconies and the side-rooms are more Moghal in their construction than Pathan. 

The mosque is surmounted with four arched twowers, one at each corner.  It is built of bricks, cemented by chunam of the best quality, so excellent, indeed, that the strength of th building seems to depend entirely on its adhesive properties.  In the centre of the court-yard of the mosque is a fountain of water for the ablutions of the faithful.  The Masjid was used by Ranjit Singh as a gun and powder manufactory, and on that account came to be called the Barut-khana Wali Masjid.  The establishment was under the superintendence of Jawahar Mal, Mistri.  The mosque was restored to the Mahomedans by Major megregor, Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, in 1850, together with the shops and housed attached to it.  It has recently been repaired from subscriptions raised by the Mahomedns.

             Inscription on the northern gateway:-

             One the central arch is inscribed the Mahomedan confession of faith, and the Ayat-ul-Kaursi, a passage from the Koran.

             Inscription on the northern arch:- 

            So said the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him! The faithful is in a mosque as a fish in water.