Masjid e Jahan Numa —’the mosque commanding view of the world‘ or Jama Masjid of Delhi, was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 AD and is one of the largest mosques in India.

The mosque is about 80 m long and 27 m wide, has three gates and two 40m high minarets constructed with strips of red sandstone and white marble. The courtyard can accommodate more than 25,000 people. There are three domes on the terrace. The architectural plan of Badshahi Masjid, built by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb at Lahore, Pakistan, is similar to the Jama Masjid.
Shah Jahan also built the Taj Mahal, at Agra and the Red Fort in New Delhi, which stands opposite the Jama Masjid.

After the British victory in the Revolt of 1857, they confiscated the mosque and stationed their soldiers there. They also wanted to destroy the mosque as an act of punishment to the city. But due to opposition faced, the demolition was not done.
The iconic mosque is one of the last monuments built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. After the construction of the monument in 1656, it remained the royal mosque of the emperors until the end of the Mughal period.

Out of all these gateways, the eastern one, which was used by the emperors, remains closed during weekdays. The minarets consist of five storeys, each with a protruding balcony. The first three storeys of the minarets are made of red sandstone, the fourth of marble and the fifth of The mosque is about 80 m long and 27 m wide.

The cabinet located in the north gate has a collection of relics of Muhammad – the Quran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints embedded in a marble block.

The floor plan of the mosque is similar to that of the Jama Masjid of Agra. It is covered with white and black ornamented marble to look like a Muslim prayer mat. Beside it, a thin black border marked for the worshippers. There are 899 total such boxes.
Before the Revolt of 1857 there was a madrasa near the southern end of the mosque, which was destroyed during the revolt.


Stairs leading up to the top of one of the left minaret


City overlooking the main dome of the mosque


View of Shahjahanabad from the top of the minaret


Rickshaw ride in the streets of Shahjahanabad


Shops in old Delhi