Jama Masjid

Built between 1644 and 1656 as the principal mosque of Shahjahanabad, the Jama Masjid stands on a rise reached by broad flights of steps on three sides, its courtyard measuring some hundred metres across and able to hold twenty-five thousand worshippers. The prayer hall has three marble domes, striped in black and white, and two minarets of alternating red sandstone and marble rising about forty metres, one of which can be climbed for a view across the roofs of Old Delhi to the Red Fort. Relics said to include a hair of the Prophet are kept in a northern cabinet and shown by the custodians.

The main sights

• The great courtyard - a hundred-metre square holding thousands at prayer.
• The striped domes - three marble domes over the prayer hall.
• The minaret climb - a narrow stair to a view over Old Delhi.
• The gate stairs - the broad flights rising to the three entrances.

When to go

October to March for tolerable weather; the mosque closes to visitors during the five prayer times and is busiest on Fridays. Late afternoon light on the sandstone is the best.

Practical notes

The stone floor is bare and burning hot in summer, and shoes must be removed. Camera charges are levied at the gate and often inflated. Women may be required to wear a provided robe.

Nearby

Chandni Chowk lies north; the Red Fort is east.