One of the oldest buildings in Fatehpur Sikri, Stone
Cutter's mosque is situated to the west of the Jami Masjid among a
number of residential houses. It has some beautiful architectural traits
marking the incorporation of indigenous architectural styles in the
construction but has remained neglected and is lesser-known monument in
Fatehpur Sikri. It can be said to be the prototype of the other later
monuments that were built here. Legends attribute its construction to
the few stonecutters, who built it at their own expense. However, the
idea does not seem to be real.
Made up of red sandstone, this mosque is very simple in architecture
with an open courtyard and no dalan or minars like the other mosques of
the time. Using beams and lintel construction, its main hall is divided
into seven bays with the help of simple square and octagonal pillars.
The arches are carved on stone slabs and are merely ornamental. 'Torana'
(doorway of a Hindu tempe) shaped mihrab adorns its western wall,
decorated with floral fringes and sporting sunken arch. The arch of the
main façade is beautified with fringe of floral motifs and has
carved rossets on either side.
The flat roof has no dome or superstructure but the monolithic struts
of serpentine brackets on the façade that support the slanting
chajja attracts attention. These brackets are adorned with jali art in
floral and geometrical designs that look splendid. There are Arabic
inscriptions from Quran too carved on the stone panels above the arches
of the façade and the mihrab on the western wall that tell us
about the attributes of god.
Read about the stone cutter's mosque a Fatehpur
Sikri, India.