This magnificent gateway leads into the great courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque, which dominates Lahore. The mosque was built by the Mughal emperor Aurangseb (ruled 1658-1707). The marble tablet above the doorway bears a Kalima as well as a Persian inscription recording the date of the mosque's completion, AH 1084/AD 1674. During the Anglo-Sikh Wars, the mosque was used to store ammunition, but it was given back to the Muslims in 1856. It then became the repository of relics associated with the Prophet Muhammad.
Dr John McCosh took the earliest photograph of the mosque in 1849. Although he captured the soldiers stationed outside, the inadequacy of his photographic equipment probably prevented him from taking a view of the steps. Twenty years later, with more advanced technology and greater experience, Craddock was able to show the grand scale of the scene.
