The splendid mosque built by
Muhammad Ali Shah in the typical Mughal style with two minarets
and three domes, lies to the west of the Hussainabad Imambara
and is entirely free from pseudo Italian art then in vogue in
Lucknow. Mohammad Ali Shah started the construction of this
splendid mosque in 1840 but his wife Begum Malika Jahan finally
completed it after his death.
It is the country's largest mosque, built in 1656, where
thousands of Muslims offer prayers. It lies opposite the Red
Fort and is surrounded by a large number of shops, which deal in
a variety of goods. The great mosque of Old Delhi is both the
largest in India and the final architectural extravagance of
Shah Jahan with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees.
Location
Located in the centre of the old city, this congregational
mosque was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1423. Built in yellow
sandstone, it combines the best of Hindu and Muslim styles of
architecture, standing on 260 pillars supporting 15 domes at
varying elevations.
History
Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India and stands across the
road from the Red Fort, built in 1656 by Shahjahan. About 20,000
people can pray here at a time (Drive past).
Architectural Triumph
The vast paved courtyard is a rectangle nearly seventy-five
metres by sixty-six metres. The whole of the western chamber is
a big hall, standing on 260 pillars all carved from Hindu and
Jain traditions. The central courtyard is accessible from the
East, though there are three ways on the other side too. The
Eastern side entrance leads to another enclosure containing the
mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed Shah. Thus it is an architectural
triumph.
Tombs
Near the Eastern entrance stands the 'roja' or the tomb of the
Sultan Ahmed Shah, which was homage to the Sultan by his son
Mohammed Shah II. The tomb houses the graves of three great
rulers of Gujarat - Ahmed Shah I, his son, Mohammed Shah and his
grandson, Qutub-Ud-Din Ahmed Shah II. After a passage of 100
years, a nobleman by the name - Farhatul Maluk repaired the
tomb, who also got the walls of the mosque engraved. Today after
centuries of heat and rough weather, the Masjid stands
unchallenged serving as a prayer place for numerous Muslims
residing in the city. Among the most popular sights of the city
of Ahmedabad is the Jama Masjid, boasting of a well-proportioned
architecture. It took 13 years to complete this fine example of
Indo-Saracenic architecture of the Ahmed Shahi style. A white
marble paved courtyard, with a pool in the middle provides a
perfect pause between the raucous streets outside, and the
dignity of the main sanctuary within. Nearby the Masjid are Pols
and the Teen Darwaza (The Three Gates). Sultan Ahmed Shah built
these arched gateways, which were meant as the royal entrance to
the Maidan Shah or Royal Square. From here the Sultans used to
watch the processions from the palace to the Jama Masjid
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