Wali Muhammad Mosque, Multan: Chowk Bazaar's 1753 Mosque

The Wali Muhammad mosque in Multan, properly the Ali Muhammad Khan Mosque, is a late Mughal mosque in Chowk Bazaar inside the walled city, near Haram Gate and Pak Gate. Nawab Ali Muhammad Khan Khakwani, the governor of Multan, built it in 1753, and under Sikh rule it served as the Sikh governor's court. It is still a working mosque run by the Punjab Auqaf Department, free to visit outside prayer times, and an easy stop on a walk through the old city bazaars.

This guide covers who built it, its unusual later history, what to look for in the building and how to fit it into a walk through old Multan.

Who built the Wali Muhammad mosque?

The mosque was built in 1753, or 1171 in the Hijri calendar, by Nawab Ali Muhammad Khan Khakwani. He governed Multan in the 1750s and 1760s, first for the Mughals in the reign of Alamgir II and later under the Durrani ruler Ahmad Shah, a turbulent period when control of the city changed hands several times. The mosque is the best-known building he left in the city.

Most people in Multan call it Masjid Wali Muhammad, and you will find both names on maps and signboards.

How was it used under the Sikhs?

After Multan became part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's kingdom in 1818, the mosque was taken over. According to the accounts collected on Wikipedia, the Sikh governor held court at the main entrance, and the Guru Granth Sahib was kept in the main prayer hall. Mosques used for other purposes were not unusual in Punjab under Sikh rule.

Under British rule, which reached Multan in 1849, the mosque was returned to the Muslim community. Members of the Awan family looked after it as hereditary custodians for a long period, until the Auqaf Department took control in 1960.

What does the mosque look like?

The layout is the part that surprises people. The mosque itself is small, a prayer hall of three bays at one end of a large courtyard. Facing it across the courtyard is a gatehouse that is much bigger than the mosque, so you enter through the grandest part of the building.

Things to look for:

• Cusped arches of the kind made fashionable under Shah Jahan, on both the gatehouse and the prayer hall.
• Floral designs painted and worked into the walls, in the late Mughal manner.
• Multani blue glazed tile, used sparingly, mainly on the spandrels of the arches and on the columns between the bays. It is restrained compared with the city's tile-covered shrines; our guide to Multani blue pottery explains the craft behind it.
• Kashigari-style decoration inside the prayer hall.
• The ablution pool in the courtyard, and two small rooms that were built as resting places for worshippers.

Is it being restored?

The mosque has been named among the landmarks of the walled city in coverage of Multan's heritage projects, and reports have said that its restoration was entrusted to the Walled City authority. We could not confirm from a recent source what work has been done or when, so expect a well-used neighbourhood mosque rather than a polished monument, and expect that some surfaces may have been repainted over the years.

How do you get there, and what is nearby?

The mosque is in Chowk Bazaar, inside the walled city near Haram Gate and Pak Gate. The lanes are narrow and crowded and parking is difficult, so take a rickshaw or ride-hailing car to Haram Gate and walk in. Locals will point you to Masjid Wali Muhammad if you ask.

It fits easily into a half-day walk through the old city:

1. Start at Ghanta Ghar, the clock tower at the edge of the walled city; see our Ghanta Ghar guide.
2. Walk through Hussain Agahi Bazaar, Multan's oldest market, towards the inner lanes.
3. Go on to Chowk Bazaar and the mosque, ideally in the morning or after the Asr prayer.
4. Continue to Pak Gate and the restored shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed.
5. Finish at Bohar Gate with the tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardez, or head up to the shrines on the fort mound.

How should you visit?

• Avoid the five daily prayers and, above all, Friday midday, when the mosque fills up.
• Dress modestly; women should cover their heads.
• Shoes come off before the prayer hall.
• Ask the imam or caretaker before photographing inside, and don't photograph people praying.
• From May to September go early; the old city lanes trap the heat by midday.

Is it worth seeing?

Yes, as part of a walk through the walled city. It is a securely dated mid-18th-century building in the heart of the old city, its oversized gatehouse is unusual, and its Sikh-era history says a lot about how many hands the city has passed through. It is not a destination on its own; on a short trip, the shrines on the fort mound and the bazaars come first. For a fuller plan, see places to visit in Multan and our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions