The Grand Trunk Road, stretching from Kabul to Sonargaon (or Kolkata), is the most important road in India and one of the most famous in the world. It extends for almost 2,500 km across the great Indo-Gangetic plain. It first emerged as the main artery of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Chandragupta (320–298 BC). Since then, it has connected diverse regions, promoting cultural, linguistic, and religious exchanges. For over two millennia, it has also served as the route used by most invaders. Hence, its strategic value has always been immense.
On this ancient great road, Attock is probably
the most strategically important point. It is located on the GT Road where it
crosses the mighty Indus River. Controlling this point has always meant
controlling the road and this vital route.
Here, I would like to
draw my readers’ attention to the fact that there are actually have two places
with the same name. The first is Attock city, nearly 20 km to the southeast,
far from the banks of the Indus River. The second is a small village known as
Attock Khurd (Khurd means “small” or “little”). Attock Khurd lies on the banks
of the Indus and has been an important crossing point on this river since
ancient times. It is Attock Khurd that has played a significant role in history
and is the subject of this post.
Attock Khurd is a small but very old village.
Human settlement here probably existed long before the construction of the
famous Attock Fort. This mighty fort was built by Emperor Akbar in 1581 to
control and defend this strategic point, which held immense value for both
defense and trade. The fort still stands proudly at this scenic location. It is
said that the present day village was populated at the same time, when Akbar
settled 500 boatmen, along with their families, at this point to provide boats
for crossing the river. The
descendants of those people are still known and called Mallahs, Sailors.
Attock Khurd lies
immediately southeast of this magnificent fort, on the banks of the Indus, with
the river flowing right below the village. The flowing waters, green hills all
around, and the majestic fort in the background make the location truly
enchanting. If properly explored, the village has many buildings of historical
interest, but today I shall focus on two very old and beautiful mosques.
The first mosque is located at 33°53'14.33"N, 72°14'2.76"E. There is no recorded history of this mosque, but it was certainly built either at the time of the fort’s construction or sometime later during the Mughal era. Even its official name is not found. So locals call it Bاahar Wali Masjid, or the outside mosque, as it is located outside the village. Its beauty is difficult to capture in words; only an expert in Mughal architecture could do it full justice. The most remarkable feature of the mosque is that, despite the passage of more than three centuries, its original paintings and floral designs have survived. In most other cases, such ancient structures have either perished over time or lost their original artwork to modern repair works.
Baahar Wali Masjid. (30.07.2025.)
A closer view. (30.07.2025.)
The paintings and the colourful decorative designs are simply marvellous. The whole interior is covered with beautiful motifs. Indeed, an amazing example of Mughal Art.
The mehrab of the mosque. (30.07.2025.)
A wonderful decorative work
. (30.07.2025.) كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ (قرآن - القصص: 88)
Everything will perish except His face" Quran (28:88)"
The right side. (30.07.2025.)
The left side. (30.07.2025.)
Intricate decorations inside the dome. (30.07.2025.)
A few examples of amazing and beautiful decorative works are given below. I am sure such intricate designs can be found at only a few places in Pakistan. The colours and floral designs are excellent.
A cemetery also exists around the mosque. (30.07.2025.)
A beautiful view of the mosque. Khairabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can be seen across the river. (30.07.2025.)
Beautiful settings of the mosque. (30.07.2025.)
The second historic mosque I want you to visit with me is on the other side of the village. Located at 33°53'24.58"N, 72°13'58.75"E, about 500 meters to the north of the first mosque. Not surprisingly, its authentic history is also not available. But at least a plaque is given at the entrance, which tells its name to be Bilal Masjid. This mosque has a beautiful setting and is located very close to the riverbank. Some sources refer to it as the Shahjahani Mosque, suggesting that it was built during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628–1658 AD).
Bilal Mosque. The River Indus is flowing in the background. (30.07.2025.)
A closer view. (30.07.2025.)
Bilal Mosque. (30.07.2025.)
It is slightly smaller than the Baahar Wali Mosque. (30.07.2025.)
Door of Masjid Bilal.
(30.07.2025.)
A view of the right side. (30.07.2025.)
A view of the left side. (30.07.2025.)
The main entrance of the mosque. (30.07.2025.)
یا اللہ 786 یا محمد
مسجد بلال
256 سال پرانی ملکوں والی مسجد
متولی ملک برادری ملائی ٹولہ
Ya Allah 786 Ya Muahammad
Bilal Mosque
256* year old mosque of Maliks
Caretakers the Malik Community, Mallai** Tola
* This plaque seems to be a few decades old. So the mosque is about 300 years old.
** Mallai is a distorted form of Mallahi (of sailors)
Masjid Bilal appears to be a very simple structure without any decorative motifs. However, if you look at the inner side of the dome, you can still see traces of decorative paintings. Similarly, where the paint layer is peeling off, the original artwork becomes visible. This suggests that, once upon a time, the mosque was as beautifully decorated as the Baahar Wali Masjid. Unfortunately, most of these decorations were lost over time, and later haphazard repairs dealt the final blow. Still, perhaps something can be preserved if the added paint is carefully removed and the original designs are restored.
A view of the River Indus from Bilal Mosque. (30.7.2025.)
This small village, Mallah Tola, has many other buildings of historical and architectural significance. They deserve careful exploration and study. A few pictures given below will give you a general idea of the village.
Khairabad can be seen across the Indus. (30.07.2025.)
A general view of the Mallah Tola. (30.07.2025.)
An old house in the village. (30.07.2025.)
A street in the village, Mallah Tola. (30.07.2025.)
From L to R: An official building, a Hindu Temple, a big old house. (30.07.2025.)
A view of the Ghat. (30.07.2025.)
Probably a police post. (30.07.2025.)
A view of the magnificent Attock Fort. (30.07.2025.)
Iftikhar Ahmad Bhatti. (30.07.2025.)
Ibrahim Tariq Ansari. (30.07.2025.)
The writer. (30.07.2025.)
It was a very enjoyable and fruitful visit to this historic place. We admired the scenic beauty and the old architecture of these two mosques, and we also had the chance to view a part of the great Attock Fort from close quarters. In the end, I would like to request the Archaeology Department to pay urgent attention to the restoration and preservation of these two beautiful historic mosques before it is too late. Losing such treasures would truly be a tragedy.
Tariq Amir
August 26, 2025.
Islamabad
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