East gate of the Jama Masjid in Delhi seen from above, with the courtyard below and the Red Fort walls in the background.

Jama Masjid

Shah Jahan's great mosque, in red sandstone with marble domes, with a courtyard for about 25,000 worshippers and minarets with views over Old Delhi.

  • Religion and art
  • Suggested time:1 h
  • Area:Old Delhi

About Jama Masjid

Three sandstone gateways lead to the courtyard, and the scale only reveals itself inside: it holds about 25,000 people, with a marble ablution pool in the center. The official name, Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, can be translated as "the mosque that reflects the world." Shah Jahan, the same one behind the Red Fort, had it built in the mid-17th century, with three marble domes over the prayer hall.

The two minarets are 41 meters (135 ft) tall, and the climb rewards you with a wide view of the rooftops of Old Delhi. It is a mosque in daily use: you enter barefoot, in clothing that covers arms and legs, and the visit should avoid prayer times. Friday is the busiest day.

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Image credit

  • The east gate of the Jama Masjid seen from above: in the background, the Red Fort's walls remind you that both came from the same emperor.Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original

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