Jama Masjid, Old Delhi

The Jama Masjid is Shah Jahan's great mosque in Old Delhi, a short walk from the Red Fort. Here are the tourist hours, the dress code and what to expect at the gates.

The Jama Masjid, known historically as Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi and one of the largest in India. Shah Jahan built it in the 1650s on a rise west of the Red Fort, as the last of his great architectural projects. Delhi Tourism gives its completion as 1658. The mosque stands on a high plinth reached by broad flights of steps to three great gateways on the north, south and east.

Inside, the paved courtyard can hold 25,000 people around a central ablution tank. On its west side is the prayer hall, faced with eleven arches and topped with three white marble domes striped in black. Two 40-metre minarets built of alternating strips of red sandstone and white marble frame the hall. Travel sites report that the southern minaret can be climbed for a separate charge, for a view over Old Delhi and the Red Fort. The mosque is a working place of worship.

Tourists are not admitted during prayers, and non-Muslim visitors are kept out for about two hours at the Friday midday prayer. Shoes are removed at the gate, and visitors must cover their legs and shoulders; robes can be hired at the gates. The lanes around the mosque are known for Old Delhi's food, with Matia Mahal and the streets near Gate 1 lined with kebab and biryani shops. Chawri Bazaar and Jama Masjid are the nearest metro stations.

Visiting hours differ for Indian and foreign tourists, so check them before you go.