Gyanvapi Mosque

The Gyanvapi Mosque is a mosque located in Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The site was originally an ancient Hindu temple of Shiva or "Kashi Vishveshwara", one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas. The mosque was constructed in c. 1678 CE during the reign of the Muslim Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, a decade after he issued a royal decree (firman) in 1669 ordering the destruction of the ancient Hindu temple. A comprehensive ASI survey found that the mosque was constructed on the remains of a pre-existing large Hindu temple. The present structure incorporates architectural components of the previous temple, with visible Hindu motifs and sculptures on its pillars. However, both Hindus and the Muslims claim the right to the land, and ownership is currently disputed.

Mosque data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).