The 12 gates of Lahore hold a number of historical buildings inside them. These include mosques, havelis, hammams (public baths), bazaars, tombs and temples. Negligence on the part of successive rulers of sub-continent, consecutive selling and then demolition of structures by their new owners, encroachments inside the bazaars and many other factors destroyed most of these centuries` old constructions. Only a few have withstood the ravages of time and even fewer manifest their glorious past through their relatively intact architecture. Wazir Khan Mosque situated inside the Delhi Gate is one of them.

Wazir Khan Mosque is unique in its architecture from other famous mosques of sub-continent built during Mughal Period because it reflects a blend of Persian and Indian styles of architecture. It`s the second most spacious mosque of Lahore after Badshahi Mosque. Wazir Khan Mosque is situated in a crowded bazaar of the old city. The towering minarets of the mosque catch the sight of the visitor/worshipper from a long distance. This mosque was built by a Hakeem (physician) Ilmuddin Ansari also known as Nawab Wazir Khan, a title bestowed on him by Emperor Shah Jehan. Later, he became the Governor of Lahore. Wazir Khan was very fond of public welfare projects. So he sponsored the construction of several hamams, bazaars, palaces, gardens and shops, most of which have now perished. He laid down the foundation of Wazir Khan Mosque in AD 1634. For some time this mosque served as imperial Jamia Masjid where Mughal Kings and courtiers would offer their Friday prayers. After the construction of Badshahi mosque, the title of imperial mosque shifted to it.

Entering through the main gate of the mosque, one has to climb a number of steps and then pass through a spacious but covered courtyard. Four small and one huge dome are offset by two octagonal minarets on both sides. There is a shrine of Syed Muhammad Ishaq better known as Hazrat Meran Shah on the left of the courtyard. Hazrat Meeran Shah was a Sufi saint from Iran who settled down in Lahore during the reign of King Feroze Tughlaq. This tomb was built before the construction of Wazir Khan Mosque.

Walls and floor of the mosque are built with red bricks. The pattern of bricks on the floor makes an eye-catching symmetrical design. The walls are plastered, coloured and entirely covered with arabesque painting and shimmering tiles, and the inlaid pottery decorations and panelling of the walls are vivid and glowing. Exquisite floral decoration in a unique cut tile mosaic technique is also found at the Wazir Khan Mosque along with long panels of calligraphy in nastaliq, thuluth and naskh scripts.

There are staircases inside the minaret to reach at the top to have a view of the city. But access to these minarets is usually not allowed. A number of rooms are lined up on both sides of the main prayer hall. Most of these rooms remain closed and the rest are rented out to various types of vendors and calligraphers.

After visiting the mosque in 2004, US Embassy officials had allocated a fund of $31,000 under the US Ambassador`s Fund for Cultural Preservation programme for the restoration of the mosque. They showed their concerns about the fast decay of the mosque. Most parts of the mosque were restored to their original form. But still an operation against encroachments, neighbouring shops and houses is needed to preserve the splendour of the mosque.