Jamia Masjid Srinagar History, Construction, Architecture and Facts

Jamia Masjid Quick Facts

Jamia Masjid Overview

The Jamia (Jama) Masjid, one of the oldest mosques in Jammu and Kashmir, is situated in the heart of Nowhatta, a famous old town in the capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Its mosque was built by the sixth Sultan of Shah Miri dynasty, Sikandar in 1394 AD. This mosque is considered one of the major tourist attractions of Srinagar.

Jamia Masjid History

Jama Masjid of Srinagar was built in 1394 AD by Sultan Sikandar of Srinagar. But the construction work of the mosque was completed in 1402 AD at the behest of Mir Mohammad Hamdani, son of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani. After this, the mosque was destroyed due to fire in 1479 AD.

After this, during the dominion of Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1503 AD, the mosque caught fire again, and due to which the mosque suffered another fatal destruction.

After some time the mosque was rebuilt by Malik Hyderchaudra, an architect based in Daubara Kashmir. who was also a historian and when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was in the reign of 1674 AD, the mosque faced unfortunate destruction for the third time. But to maintain the historical value of the mosque, these were repaired. The mosque continued to be rebuilt by Maharana Pratap Singh, he had also given financial incentives for it.।

Jamia Masjid Interesting Facts

1. Jama Masjid, built by Sultan Sikandar in 1394 AD, is considered a holy mosque for Muslims.
2. This Mosque has been constructed according to Indo-Saracenic architecture.
3. The extended mosque complex was tried to be destroyed by fire thrice in 1479 AD, 1503 AD and 1674 AD by Alexander's son Zain-ul-Abidin.
4. Maharana Pratap Singh is remembered for his contribution to the reconstruction of the Jamia Masjid and for maintaining the original form of the Indo-Saracenic design in the mosque.
5. The length of the Jama Masjid located in Srinagar is 384 feet and the width is 381 feet, which makes its structure more attractive the mosque also has four quadrangular turrets.
6. Jamia Masjid is surrounded by lush green gardens and corridors, which reflect the beauty of the mosque.
7. The Entire structure of the mosque is surrounded on all sides by wide streets, with a square garden in the center.
8. The Entrance to the south side of the mosque includes a painted door pavilion which further leads to an inner courtyard.
9. The courtyard of the mosque is based on the plan of four traditional gardens and has a tank in its centre. The entire courtyard is of arched structure, made of arched brick.
10. The Interior area of ​​the mosque is 146,000 square feet and the walls of the mosque are 4 feet (1.2 m) thick made of solid bricks. The lower part of the walls is made in the shape of a rectangular structure.
11. On the north, south and east side of the mosque there are three large entrances, where three bastions stand on lofty pillars of deodar wood.
12. On the eastern side, there is a large entrance gate called Shah Gate, this gate is covered by a pyramidal roof surrounded by a square open pavilion. Which looks very attractive.
13. This Mosque is addressed by the local people as 'Friday Masjid'.
14. There is a lot of space in Jama Masjid, in which 30,000 people can sit and offer Namaz at a time.
15. The main attraction of this mosque is the prayer hall, which stands on 370 pillars. All these pillars are made of thick deodar stems.

How to reach Jamia Masjid

• The Nearest Railway station to Jamia Masjid is Srinagar Kashmir Railway Station, which is located at a distance of 13.4 km from the mosque.
• Along with this there is Budgam railway station of Srinagar. This station is located at a distance of 11.9 km from the mosque.
• Apart from this the nearest airport to the mosque is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport.