Shahnajaf Masjid

The story of Shahnajaf Masjid

Shahnajaf Masjid belongs to the mosque tradition: a masjid is a place of worship for Muslims, usually a covered building, though prayer can also take place in a courtyard. You are in Hazratganj, in Lucknow, and this place stands in that city’s historic religious landscape.

The strongest published clue tied to the same name is for the Shahnajaf Imambara in Lucknow. Knocksense says it was constructed in 1816-1817 by Nawab Gazi-ud-Din Haider, the last Nawab Wazir and the first King of Awadh, as a copy of Ali ibn Abi Talib’s tomb in Najaf, Iraq. Tornos India adds that Ghaziuddin Haider built a replica at Lucknow because a pilgrimage to Najaf was not easy, and that a replica of a square silver rauza of Najaf was placed inside.

A separate published page places Shahnajaf Imambara in Hazratganj, and another says the hall is approached through three wooden doors, with two entrances on the north and south. It also notes two parallel arch enclosures and a flattened dome. The same tradition is used by Shiite Muslims to mourn the martyrs of Karbala.

If you’re here on foot, look for the mosque’s relation to the larger Shahnajaf complex rather than expecting a full standalone history for this exact building.