Built in the first century AH..Bul Khushiti is the oldest mosque in Afghanistan

Kabul -

The Bul Khushti Mosque is located in the center of the Afghan capital (Kabul). It is one of the oldest houses of worship in the region and is a masterpiece that embodies Afghan architecture in terms of shape, decoration, size and location. It was built near the palace of the Afghan princes in the center of the capital, Kabul.

The idea of ​​​​establishing the Bul Kheshti Mosque dates back to the late first century AH (Al-Jazeera)

The idea of ​​building the mosque dates back to the late first century AH, according to what the historian Habibullah Rafie says to Al Jazeera Net;

"The foundation stone was laid after the arrival of the vanguards of Muslims to Kabul, and its minaret and dome can be seen from all over Kabul, and it has a very ancient history, and has been respected by Afghans throughout the ages."

Bul Khushti Mosque is the oldest mosque in present-day Afghanistan (Al-Jazeera)

Oldest mosque in Afghanistan

There are those who specify the date of the construction of the Bel Khushti Mosque in Afghanistan and say that it is the oldest mosque in present-day Afghanistan, as Enayatullah Baligh Khatib and imam of the mosque told Al Jazeera Net, "This mosque has a special place among the Afghans. It was built during the era of Caliph Othman bin Affan, may God be pleased with him, and we consider it a historical and moral monument For the Afghan people and the course of Islamic art in Afghanistan.

When Prince Timur Shah decided during the years 1773-1775 to transfer the capital from the province of Kandahar (southern Afghanistan) to Kabul, he set out to expand and restore the Bul Khushti Mosque, but he was unable to do so because of his long trips to Nishapur, Sindh and Baluchistan, according to Alf Shah Zadran, a professor of history in Kabul University for Al Jazeera Net.

The Bul Khushiti Mosque has a special place among the Afghans, as it was built during the era of Caliph Othman bin Affan, may God be pleased with him (Al-Jazeera)

The interest of the Afghan princes in the mosque

After the death of Timur Shah, his son Shah Zaman completed in 1798 the restoration and maintenance of the mosque according to the plan set by his father, and he built the mosque on the foundations of engineering and architecture circulating in Kandahar.

The mosque received the attention of the Afghan princes, and when you visit it, you will notice the imprint of each prince in it, and what the Iron Prince Abdul Rahman Khan did is an important gesture in the history of the mosque. A large lamp was hung in the middle of each dome, and verses from the Holy Qur’an were written on the interior walls, which are 88 meters long, in Kufic script.

On the inner walls of the mosque, which is 88 meters long, verses from the Noble Qur’an are written in Kufic script (Al-Jazeera)

Historians say that the use of plaster and marble inside and outside the mosque is one of the masterpieces of architecture in that era of Afghan history, and that the Afghan princes took care of the mosque so that it would be a prominent feature in the capital, Kabul.

Building of Bul Kheshti Mosque

The mosque has 3 main gates, and at the top of each door a large dome was built in addition to a large minaret to raise the call to prayer. During the reign of Prince Habibullah Khan, the courtyard of the mosque was expanded and another floor was built of wood and iron only in a very beautiful style.

The late King Muhammad Zahir Shah ordered the mosque to be renovated and developed according to the modern architecture of the major mosques in the Islamic world (Al-Jazeera)

In 1985, Prince Amanullah Khan ordered the establishment of an elementary school for children inside the mosque, the first official religious school to open in the capital, Kabul. The mosque underwent a major renovation process inside the mosque during the reign of King Muhammad Nader Khan.

The late King Muhammad Zahir Shah renovated and developed the mosque according to the modern architecture of the major mosques in the Islamic world. The height of the current mosque’s minaret and dome reached 3 meters. The mosque includes all the balconies of the first and second floors, balconies, wide lobbies and walls made of transparent marble and decorated with blue and green tiles.

Inayat Allah Baligh, imam and preacher of the Bel Khashi mosque: 25 congregational prayers are held between the Zuhr and Asr prayers due to the large number of attendees (Al-Jazeera)

10 thousand serum daily

Inayat Allah Baligh, imam and preacher of the Bel Khashi mosque, told Al Jazeera Net, "About 10 thousand people pray daily in the mosque, and only 25 congregational prayers are held between the noon and afternoon prayers due to the large number of its visitors, and more than 11 thousand people participate in Friday prayers."

The mosque was damaged during the civil war between the ex-Mujahideen in the 1990s, but was completely restored in 2019.

Bul Khushiti Mosque was damaged during the civil war in the 1990s, but was completely restored in 2019 (Al-Jazeera)

The Paul Khushti Mosque played a major role in the political arena in Afghanistan. Demonstrations denouncing the communist rule emerged from it prior to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1989, and Afghan princes regularly performed Friday prayers in it and stopped attending during the presence of US forces and the deteriorating security situation in the country.