Hawzah News Agency (Srinagar, Indian Kashmir) – The restoration work of the minarets and other repairs of the grand mosque — an iconic building which has historical, architectural and religious significance for Kashmir — is being carried out by the Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid under the supervision of experts.

The mosque was built by Sultan Sikandar Shah Kashmiri Shahmiri in 1394 AD and is the only major mosque in the Kashmir region to have followed the Central Asian Arabic pattern of mosque construction, peculiar for its central courtyard.

Damaged by fire three times, the first major restoration of the mosque was carried out by Emperor Aurangzeb in keeping with the original plan.

"Despite limited resources with the Anjuman, the work has been undertaken by them with the help of experts to preserve the minarets and restore them to their original beauty," tweeted Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, patron of the Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid, after taking stock of the restoration work this afternoon.

"While repairing the minarets, extreme care is being taken to maintain the originality," Mirwaiz said.

Saleem Beigh, the state convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), which had earlier carried out the structural analysis of the historical mosque, said the last restoration work at the grand mosque was carried out in 1900.

"The restoration work was carried out under the guidance and supervision of John Marshal, then Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India. During the restoration, taken on a massive scale, the minarets were also restored," said Beigh.

In fact, the then Nawab of Dhaka, Khawaja Ahsanullah Khan, who was of Kashmiri origin, had also contributed to the funds for the restoration of the mosque.

Located in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar, the wooden structure of the mosque is prone to hazards and has witnessed three devastating fires. Despite the setbacks, the mosque has survived as the principal architectural monument of Kashmir, particularly the capital Srinagar.