Beneath the arched entrance to a double minaret mosque, a muezzin calls the faithful to prayer. With over 100 million followers, Islam is the largest minority religion in India. In nearly every city the day is punctuated by the muezzin’s call. The Mughal dynasty lasted for less than 200 years, but the quantity and quality of mosques, madrasa colleges, and imambara tombs that remain stand testimony to the enormous contribution of Islam to Indian architecture. Centuries later, an Indo-Saracenic style evolved which combines traditionally Indian techniques and details with Islamic arches, minarets, and spires, creating a hybrid style of architecture that is uniquely Indian.

Champaner, Panchmals District, Gujarat

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