A set of photographs has been posted on social media with the narrative that these represent the now demolished Babri masjid of Ayodhya, taken from the archive of the British Library.

As can be seen in the above tweet, there are four images which have been shared as the Babri masjid. This tweet was retweeted by AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

The images have also been posted on Facebook, with the same narrative.

So, do these pictures indeed represent the Babri masjid? Do they form part of the archives of the British Library?

FACT CHECK: UNRELATED PHOTOS

None of the four photographs circulated on social media represent the Babri masjid. Let us take a look at each.

PHOTO 1

A reverse-image search of the above picture reveals that the monument in question is the Motijheel masjid, in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Posted below is an identical image of Motijheel masjid, posted on Wikipedia.

 

PHOTO 2

The above image represents the Jama masjid at the Gulbarga fort in Karnataka. The mosque was built in 1367 CE. The image posted below shows the mosque from a different angle.

PHOTO 3

On reverse-searching the above image, Alt News found it is from Turkey. The photograph in question represents the Green mosque, known in Turkish as the Yeşil Camii. It is situated in Bursa, Turkey.

PHOTO 4

The above image is not of the Babri masjid, as claimed. Alt News reverse-searched the image and found a like image, posted on the automobile website, Team BHP. It represents a portion of the Ibrahim Rauza, the mausoleum complex located in Bijapur, Karnataka and commissioned by Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1579-1627 CE).

It may thus be noted none of the images shared by social media users represents the Babri masjid of Ayodhya. A similar claim was circulated earlier this month, with photographs from Turkey and Afghanistan passed off as the Babri masjid.

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About the Author

Arjun Sidharth is a writer with Alt News. He has previously worked in the television news industry, where he managed news bulletins and breaking news scenarios, apart from scripting numerous prime time television stories. He has also been actively involved with various freelance projects. Sidharth has studied economics, political science, international relations and journalism. He has a keen interest in books, movies, music, sports, politics, foreign policy, history and economics. His hobbies include reading, watching movies and indoor gaming.