Over the course of years, several masjids have been converted or transformed into churches, museums, etc. Even worse, many a times, masjids have been martyred or destroyed by extremists and terrorists.
Of course, the media is often quick to ignore and even quicker to forget such actions against our masjids. This post mentions five masjids that were martyred or destroyed by extremist outfits. Each of these masjids was an architectural marvel and a symbol of great Islamic cultural heritage.
1. Akbarabadi Masjid, Delhi (India)
Sketch from the book “Asar al-Sanadid” by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Akbarabadi Masjid was built by Akbarabadi Begum, the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in the year 1650. It was demolished by the British colonial rulers, after they captured Delhi following the Revolt of 1857.
2. Babri Masjid, Ayodhya (India)
Rear view of the building; Wikimedia Commons
Babri Masjid was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Babur in the year 1527. It was destroyed in 1992 by Hindu extremists.
3. Arnaudija Masjid, Banja Luka (Bosnia)
Image from an old Bosnian postcard
Built in the year 1594, Arnaudija Masjid was one of the 16 masjids destroyed by the army of Republika Srpska in 1993.
4. Ferhat Pasha Masjid, Banja Luka (Bosnia)
Wikimedia Commons
Ferhat Pasha Masjid was also demolished in the year 1993 by Republika Srpska. It was constructed by an Ottoman official Ferhat Pasha Sokolovic in the year 1579.
5. Moscow Cathedral Masjid, Moscow (Russia)
Dated 2009; Wikimedia Commons
Moscow Cathedral Masjid was built in 1904 and destroyed in the year 2011. It was the first religious structure to be demolished in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The masjids on this list are just a small fraction of what we as Muslims have lost.
