Id Gah Mosque
Eid Gah Mosque or Id Gah Mosque (Dari: مسجد عیدگاه), is the second largest mosque in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It is considered the cardinal religious mosque in the country, where a million people offer Eid prayers twice a year. It is located near the Mahmud Khan bridge and National Stadium in the eastern part of the city, in the Shar-e-barq of Kabul, which is one of the wealthier areas of the city. The "Id Gah" or "Eid Gah" refers to an open space where people congregate during national and religious celebrations. The open grounds of Id Gah are also used as a parking lot for trucks that transport goods to and from Peshawar.
| Id Gah Mosque Idgah Mosque Eidgah Mosque | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| District | Kabul District |
| Province | Kabul Province |
| Region | Shar-e-barq, Kabul |
| Rite | Abdali |
| Leadership | Babur or Jahangir |
| Year consecrated | 16th Century |
| Location | |
| Location | Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°31′04″N 69°11′24″E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic architecture, Mughal style |
In most references Babur, a Muslim warrior at the time had just invaded India and ordered a Mosque be built to glorify Islam, he had his warriors bring back precious stone from the Punjab, Sindh and surrounding areas and had Persian architects build a structure for his Kabul subjects. It has been the scene of religious festivals, religious ceremonies, state functions such as coronations and priestly religious ceremonies attended by Kings and Amirs. It was from this mosque that the then Amir Habibullah made his historic announcement of his country's independence, in 1919.
The Id Gah Mosque was stated to be a target of attack when two suspects were arrested on February 10, 2006 with their vehicle found loaded with 8 kg of explosives.