Sidi Bashir Mosque Ahmedabad

Introduction : The Sidi Bashir Mosque Ahmedabad is one of the most interesting and unconventional mosques of Ahmedabad- an architectural wonder. The Sidi Bashir Mosque Ahmedabad in India is famous for its shaking minarets and is thus one of the most well known holy places in Ahmedabad. History : According to popular belief, the Sidi Bashir mosque was constructed by Sidi Bashir, a slave to the Sultan Ahmed Shah, the founder of the Ahmedabad City. Another view conflicting to this story says that the mosque was built by Malik Sarang, a noble in the court of Muhammed Begada, another Sultan of Gujarat. The construction of the Sidi Bashir Mosque was completed in 1452. Its unique architectural character makes the mosque one of the most cleverly crafted monuments in Ahmedabad. The Sidi Bashir mosque is reflective of the commendable architectural prowess that was brought to India by the Mughals; especially the architecture of mosques and minarets. Another mosque in Ahmedabad called the Raj Bibi mosque also had a pair of shaking minarets similar to the ones at the Sidi Bashir mosque. But the British dismantled one of those minarets in order to study the construction. But sadly, the minaret could not be put back together again. Another pair of shaking minarets is to be found in Isfahan in Iran called Monar Jonban (shaking minarets); these minarets display almost the same properties. Description : There are two minarets in the Sidi Bashir mosque Ahmedabad each of which is three stories tall with intricately carved hanging balconies. A gentle shaking of either minaret results in the vibrating of the other minaret after a few seconds; however, the connecting passage between the minarets remains free of vibration. The actual cause behind this vibration is unknown as yet. This unique phenomenon was first observed in the 19th century by Monier M. Williams, an English Sanskrit scholar.