The mosque was commissioned by the then governor of Punjab, Wazir Khan, during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a part of an ensemble of buildings that also included the nearby Shahi Hammam baths.

The mosque was commissioned by the chief physician to the Mughal Court, Hakeem Ilam-ud-din Ansari, better known by his royal title of Wazir Khan.

While other monuments in Lahore from the Shah Jahan period feature intricate kashi-kari tile work, none match the enormous scale of the Wazir Khan Mosque.

[12] Façades facing the inner courtyard are richly embellished with motifs and palette which display strong influences from 17th century Persia.

[21] Above the iwan entrance to the main prayer hall are verses from the Quran's surah Al-Baqara written by the calligraphist Haji Yousaf Kashmiri.

[14] The main prayer hall contains a square pavilion over which the mosque's largest dome rests - a Persian form known as Char Taq.

[24] The underside of the dome feature frescoes depicting trees in pairs, pitchers of wine, and platters of fruit, which are an allusion to the Islamic concept of Paradise.

[15][25] The low domes over the prayer hall reflect the style of the earlier Lodi dynasty,[26] which ruled Lahore prior to the Mughal era.

The panels flanking the iwan contain Persian quatrains written by the calligraphist Muhammad Ali, who was a disciple of the Sufi saint Mian Mir.

Lay a good foundation in this life, for everyone must pass through this gate to Paradise.Entry through the small portal leads into a covered octagonal chamber which lies in the centre of the mosque's "Calligrapher's Bazaar.

The courtyard features a subterranean crypt which contains the tomb of the 14th century Sufi saint Syed Muhammad Ishaq Gazruni, also known by the name Miran Badshah.

[30] It is divided into five sections aligned into a single long aisle running north to south, similar to the prayer hall at the older Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum.

[31] The remaining compartment in the prayer hall are topped by a 21 foot tall dome with a diameter of 19 feet,[2] built in a style similar to that of the earlier Lodi dynasty.

Tangled power lines further spoiled views of the mosque, and the Wazir Khan Chowk had been badly neglected and had shrunk in size due to illegally constructed shops.

Power lines along the project corridor were also placed underground, and the Chitta Gate at the eastern entrance to Wazir Khan Chowk was rehabilitated.