The Gyanvapi Mosque is a mosque located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu temples in the country.
The history of the Gyanvapi Mosque is closely intertwined with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The mosque is said to have been built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century on the site of a previous Hindu temple. The construction of the mosque involved demolishing part of the original temple and using its materials in the construction.
The site has been a subject of religious and legal disputes for many years, with Hindu groups claiming that the mosque was built on the remains of a destroyed temple, making it a symbol of historical and religious importance to Hindus. The legal case surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque is part of the broader Ayodhya dispute, which involves a similar situation with the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.