The historical Mosque located in the Khyber Agency of the Federally Administrative Tribal Areas FATA in Pakistan is known as Ali Masjid. It is situated approximately 10 miles to the east near the city of Landi Kotal. The mosque has an altitude of 3,174 feet. The distance across the Khyber near Ali Masjid was that narrow that hardly two laden camel can pass through but now the passage has been broaden. This mosque was basically come into being in the reminiscence of Ali, who was the cousin of our beloved Islamic prophet Muhammad.
In the memory of Ali a mosque and shrine has also been built, who visited this place according to the local tradition. It is also believed that there is a huge boulder that carries the marks of a hand of Ali. In nineteenth century the British built a fort near Ali Masjid which commands a strategic view over the Khyber Pass. In the second Afghan war some British soldiers were died and there graves are still present in the Fort. The valley walls stand insignias of regiments that were served here.
This mosque was the scene of fight throughout the Anglo-Afghan wars. The fort was garrisoned by the British during the first Anglo-Afghan War that happened in 1842. The Afghan troops of Akbar Khan attacked a reprieve force under Colonel Charles Wild at the entrance of the Khyber Pass and were forced to fall back. Even the fort garrison was enforced to leave the mosque and go back to Jamrud. Then afterwards General Sir Samuel Browne captured this fort which was detained by the Afghans under Faiz Muhammad, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War on the advance on Kabul in 1878.
On 21 November 1878, the Battle of Ali Masjid took place which was between British forces and Afghan forces and was the opening battle in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The British forces were under Lieutenant-General Sir Samuel James Browne and the Afghan Forces were under the command of Ghulam Haider Khan. The reason of this battle was the refusal of Afghan general’s to allow a British envoy entrance to the country and as a result they attacked the fortress of Ali Masjid. The British were lucky as Afghan abandoned their position over night despite of numerous setbacks as half of British troops were lost and some were missing during the entire battle.
