Jama Masjid, Delhi

Jama Masjid
The mosque exterior, in 2008
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
RiteHanafi
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusCongregational mosque
Leadership
StatusActive
Location
LocationOld Delhi, Central Delhi
CountryIndia
Location of the mosque in Central Delhi
Coordinates28°39′03″N 77°14′00″E / 28.6507°N 77.2334°E / 28.6507; 77.2334
Architecture
TypeMosque
Style
Completed1656 (1656)
Construction cost1 million
Specifications
Direction of façadeWest
Capacity25,000 worshippers
Length40 metres (130 ft)
Width27 metres (89 ft)
Dome3
Minaret2
Minaret height41 metres (135 ft)
MaterialsRed sandstone, marble
Website
Jama Masjid
Official nameAncient Mosque
Reference no.N-DL-162

The Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid, in Old Delhi area of Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India. Its builder was the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1656, and it was inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari. Situated in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad (today Old Delhi), it served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the demise of the empire in 1857. The Jama Masjid was regarded as a symbolic gesture of Mughal power across India. It was also a site of political significance during several key periods of British rule. It remains in active use, and is one of Delhi's most iconic sites, closely identified with the methods of Old Delhi. The mosque structure is a Monument of National Importance.