Badshahi Mosque 

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, has a rich history that includes its construction, desecration, and restoration: 

Construction:

The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb commissioned the construction of the Badshahi Mosque between 1671 and 1673. The mosque was built in a record time of two and a half years. Aurangzeb appointed his foster brother, Fiadi Khan Koka, as governor of Lahore to oversee the construction. 

Desecration:

During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh army desecrated the mosque in 1799. Ranjit Singh's son, Sher Singh, used the mosque's minarets to bombard the Lahore Fort in 1841. 

Restoration:

After the British Empire took control of Lahore in 1846, the mosque was used as a garrison until 1852. The Badshahi Mosque Authority was established to oversee its restoration as a place of worship. 

Features:

The Badshahi Mosque is an example of Mughal architecture, with a blend of white marble and red sandstone. It has a courtyard with a 2,500-square-foot water pool, and dozens of small study rooms for seminary students. The mosque also has four lofty minarets, each with an outer circumference of 20 meters, soaring up to 54 meters.