Jama Masjid, Delhi, Mosque in Old Delhi, Delhi, India
The Jama Masjid, or Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, stands at the highest point of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). Its red sandstone facade with white marble inlay centres on a tall recessed archway beneath a large white bulbous dome, flanked by two smaller domes, with two slender minarets at the outer edges and an arcade of pointed arches along the base.
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan commissioned this structure after building several major monuments, and construction continued for over a decade until completion in 1656. The mosque was his final great project before imperial power began to decline.
The name Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, given by Shah Jahan, means "mosque that reflects the whole world"; the everyday name Jama Masjid simply denotes a Friday congregational mosque. The khutba was recited here in the emperor's name, and in 1757 it was read for Ahmad Shah Durrani. The tomb of independence activist Abul Kalam Azad stands beside the mosque.
Entry is available through three gateways that lead to different parts of the grounds, and visitors should dress modestly and remove footwear before entering. The structure remains open between prayer times, and guests should stay quiet and respectful during active worship.
The mosque's floor was repaired in 1948 after the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was asked for 75,000 rupees for a quarter of it; he gave 300,000 rupees and said three-quarters should not look old. The mosque has two names: Shah Jahan's Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, "mosque that reflects the whole world", and the common Jama Masjid, meaning congregational mosque.
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