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Jama Masjid, Delhi

Masjid-i Jehan-Numa

Description

Situated in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad in modern-day Ol Delhi, India, it served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the collapse of the empire in 1857. The Jama Masjid was regarded as a symbolic node of Islamic power across India, well into the colonial era. It was also a site of political significance during several key periods of British rule. It remains in active use, and is one of Delhi's most iconic sites, closely identified with the ethos of Old Delhi.

Constructed, 1656

Related Sites

Delhi Red Fort

Map View

Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi, India

Nearby

Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts

1.70 miles

Life Insurance Corporation Building

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The site serves as Delhi's primary mosque, and has a largely congregational function.

At the time of its construction, it was the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent.

The mosque predominantly uses red sandstone, and is set apart from its predecessors by a more extensive usage of white marble.

The most prominent entrance the three-storey high eastern gate, which historically acted as the royal gateway, reserved only for the use of the Emperor and his associates.

Each gate is accompanied by a three-sided sandstone stairway, with white markings to designate prayer positions.

The facade of the prayer hall features a grand pishtaq in the centre, flanked by five smaller, cusped archways on either side. Above each archway of the prayer hall are some calligraphic pieces.

Open arcades run along the edges of the courtyard, through which the surroundings of the Masjid are visible.

Arabic and Persian calligraphic pieces are found on various surfaces of the structure, whose content ranges from religious to panegyric.

The northern and southern gates are two stories high and were used by the general population at the time of the Mughal Empire.

Three marble domes rise up from the roof of the central prayer hall, featuring golden finials.

The facade of the prayer hall features a grand pishtaq in the centre, flanked by five smaller, cusped archways with calligraphy on either side.

The mosque's domes are flanked by two sandstone minarets, at the northeast and southeast corners.

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