Information on Shaking Minarets (Ahmedabad, Gujarat) - History & Architecture

Shaking Minarets is a shakable minaret of two similar specifications, standing great at the entrance of the Sidi Bashir Mosque. It is a 562 years old unique Islamic architectural type, found in a Mosque in India. It is an historic heritage site, situated in Kalupur, Ahmadabad District of Gujarat State in India.

Shaking Minarets Architecture

Shaking Minarets is a mystical Islam architectural marvel found in India. It was built with a vibration mechanism on stones. There are two minarets standing adjacent to each other and have a passage. When one minaret is shaken by a person the other start to vibrate with in a seconds of time and vice-versa happened. There is no impact seen from the ground level or any vibrations are felt in its connected passage. But the vibration activity happens when shaken by a simple human thrust on its structures. The shaking or the vibration principal was first experienced by a British scholar of Linguistic named M.William in the 19th century AD. He noticed this property when few peoples on the adjacent minarets get down its steps very speedily. He placed a water vessel and experimented with shaking its other minarets and found this water weaving in the vessel. The present architects believe that the vibration principals can happen when woods are placed in between the gaps of stones. But here no such wood works are found on its outer structure. Either it may be concealed in between the stones is not experimented as it is a heritage monument. Few architect believes that the bonding materials used her may have electricity principals. But this also can't last for a longer time. Its local peoples still says that this minaret was built with flexible sandstones. The present modern architects of sky rise constructers say that this is one of the techniques used in the medieval period for protecting the structure form natural calamities like the Earth Quakes. These two minarets are built of sand stones in a cylindrical shape. It has a spiral steps inside to reach its 3 storied projected balconies and windows. It has unique stone art work from its base to the top of these two towers.

Shaking Minarets History

Shaking Minarets is also known as the Jhulta Minar, for its shaking principals in a stone structure. There is still a controversy over its architect, who built this rare structure. There are two names in the reference of history records available of that time. Many historians believe that it was built by a slave of Ahmed Shah, who is known as the Sidi Bashir. The other person is known to be a court Nobel of Muzaffarid Dynasty known as the Malik Sarang. But whosoever built this, hats of them for their skills in construction of high-rise stone structures. Another controversy about this structure is that, a similar stone structure is built in Iran. These minarets also have the same vibration properties in its structure, which were built in the same period when this minaret was build here in Ahmadabad. It was a copy of the Iran structure or the craftsmanship of the skilled artisans found in Gujarat is not yet proved with evidence. But this entire structure is not affected till now by the Earth Quake of magnitude below 4 Richter scale.

Shaking Minarets Tourism Importance

Shaking Minarets is a must to see if you are in Ahmadabad. This type of another structure is only found in Iran. It is a rear secret architecture hidden in its structure for its shaking principals, still unresolved. This is a great tourist attraction in Ahmadabad and a protected monument by the central government.