stands across the road infront of the Red Fort. Built between 1644 and
1658, Jama Masjid is one of the last architectural works of the Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan. The spacious courtyard of the Jama Masjid holds
thousands of faithful. Jama Masjid is located on a mound in the heart
of the old city and projects beautifully into the Old-Delhi skyline.
Jama Masjid Mosque wasbuilt in red sandstone and marble by more than
5000 artisans. Originally called the Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, or"mosque
commanding view of the world", the Jama Masjid stands at the center of
the erstwhile capital city of the Mughals, Shahjahanbad.
The Jama Masjid was completed under the supervision of Saadullah Khan,
the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan. A sum of Rs 10 lakhs was spent on
the construction of the Jama Masjid. The Jama Masjid is built on a red
sandstone porch, about 30 feet (10 m) from the level of the ground and
is about 1400 square yards (1200 m²) in extent. The Jama Masjid has
three gateways, fourtowers and two minarets. The gateways in the north
and south are led by a fleet of steps. The main entranceis on the
eastern side facing the red fort. It was probably used by the
emperors. The towerof the Jama Masjid is made up of five distinctive
storeys. Each one of the storeys has a projecting balcony. The
adjoining edifices are beautifully done with calligraphy.
The first three storeys of the Jama Masjid tower are made of red
sandstone and the fourth one is made of marble, while the fifth is
made of sandstone. The Jama Masjid is covered with intricate carvings
and has verses inscribed from the holy Koran. Thegrand Red fort (Lal
Qila) stands on the eastern side of the Jama Masjid. The main prayer
hall of the Jama Masjid is made up of high cusped archesand marble
domes. The cabinet in the north gateof the Jama Masjid contains a
collection of Muhammad's relics - the Koran written on deerskin, a red
beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, implanted
in a marble block.
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