Famous Mosques in Lahore: A Visitor Roundup

The famous mosques in Lahore fall into two groups: five Mughal-era mosques in and around the Walled City, and one very large modern mosque in Bahria Town on the edge of the city. Badshahi Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque are the two that most visitors put first and they combine easily in one morning.

This roundup gives each mosque a reason to go and one practical tip. It does not try to replace the longer guides we have written for the biggest names, which are linked below.

Badshahi Mosque

Reason to go: it is the mosque everyone pictures. Aurangzeb had it built between 1671 and 1673, and its red sandstone courtyard covers about 25,600 square metres, which is why it can hold around 100,000 people when used as an Eidgah. The prayer hall itself holds about 10,000.

Tip: entry has been reported as free in 2026, with a small charge or tip for looking after your shoes. A Rs50 ticket was announced in December 2021 for the Badshahi, Minar-e-Pakistan and Iqbal tomb area, but recent accounts describe entry as free, so carry a little cash and follow what is posted at the gate. Go in the last hour before sunset for softer light and cooler stone underfoot. Our full Badshahi Mosque guide covers timings and the museum.

Wazir Khan Mosque

Reason to go: the surface decoration. Construction began in 1634 and finished in 1641, and the walls carry glazed tile work known as kashi-kari, with painted frescoes across the interior. It has been under restoration since 2009 with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Punjab government, so parts may be under scaffolding.

Tip: it stands about 260 metres inside the Delhi Gate, in a lane full of shops, so go early before the bazaar fills and the light is still low. Read the Wazir Khan Mosque guide before you go, and take the walk in from Delhi Gate.

Sunehri Masjid

Reason to go: it is a small mosque with three gilded domes, built in 1753 by Nawab Behkari Khan, deputy governor of Lahore under Muhammad Shah, when Mughal power was already fading. It is squeezed into Kashmiri Bazaar right beside Wazir Khan Mosque, so it costs you almost no detour.

Tip: the courtyard is raised above the street and easy to walk past. Look up for the steps between the shops. There is a separate write-up on the Sunehri Masjid.

Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum

Reason to go: this is the earliest of the group. It was built between 1611 and 1614 by Mariam-uz-Zamani, mother of the emperor Jahangir, and lies near the old Masti Gate opposite the eastern wall of Lahore Fort. Its interior has fine fresco work, and under Ranjit Singh it was used as a gunpowder store, hence the old name Barudkhana Wali Masjid.

Tip: it is an active mosque in a working neighbourhood, and conservation work to clear shops that had crowded in was announced in 2016. Expect the surroundings to be untidy and the mosque itself to be quiet. Visit outside prayer times.

Dai Anga Mosque

Reason to go: it is one of the least visited old mosques in Lahore, with blue, orange and yellow tile work and four brick-and-marble minarets. Its date is disputed: it is said to have been built in 1635, though an inscription gives 1649. It stands south-east of Lahore railway station.

Tip: this one is easy to add if you are already at the railway station or on the way through, but plan to visit in daylight and do not expect visitor facilities. Ask permission before photographing anyone at prayer.

Grand Jamia Mosque, Bahria Town

Reason to go: it is a modern mosque built on a very large scale, opened on Eid al-Adha, 6 October 2014, and designed by Nayyar Ali Dada with the Badshahi Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque as references. It has four minarets 165 feet tall, and the outside carries roughly 4 million handmade Multani tiles.

Tip: it lies inside a gated community, so allow time at the gate. See our guide to the Grand Jamia Mosque in Bahria Town for entry, timings and what is inside.

Visiting rules that apply to all of them

• Times. Visit between prayers. Around Friday midday prayers, and at the evening Maghrib prayer, mosques fill and visitors may be asked to wait or leave.
• Dress. Cover shoulders, arms and legs. Women should cover their hair. Our page on mosque etiquette in Pakistan covers this in more detail.
• Shoes. Take them off before the courtyard steps. Use the shoe stand and leave a small tip; do not carry them in.
• Photography. Photographing the buildings is fine. Do not photograph people at prayer.
• Cash. Keep small notes for shoe keepers and donation boxes.

Which mosques to choose

If you have one morning, take Wazir Khan first and Badshahi second, and add Sunehri Masjid because it is beside the first. That is also the sequence that fits most easily with the Walled City walk.

Mariyam Zamani and Dai Anga suit people who already know the Walled City and want quieter places. Grand Jamia suits a different kind of trip altogether: it needs a car or ride-hailing trip out to Bahria Town and gives you a modern mosque rather than a Mughal one. For a wider list across the country, see the famous mosques of Pakistan. More things to do in the city are gathered on our experiences page.

Frequently asked questions