Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala

The Moorish Mosque in Kapurthala was commissioned by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of the princely state, for his Muslim subjects, who made up the majority of its population. Its model was the great Koutoubia Mosque of Marrakesh in Morocco, and the design was entrusted to the French architect M. Manteaux. The building was completed in 1930 and is seen as a sign of the Maharaja's even-handed attitude towards the faiths of his state.

The outer walls are washed in a soft red, set off by green doors and window frames. Inside, coloured glass filters light onto marble carving executed by the Mayo School of Art in Lahore, and the wooden ceiling is painted in black and red. The mosque is still used for prayer and is at its busiest and most brightly lit at Eid al-Fitr, at the close of Ramadan.