Jama Masjid Srinagar — the great wooden Friday mosque of the old city
What it is
The Jamia Masjid is the Friday mosque of the old city of Srinagar, at Nowhatta. Sultan Sikandar commissioned it in 1394, and it was completed in 1402. Wikipedia counts it among the most important mosques in Kashmir.
Photos: Varun Shiv Kapur from New Delhi, India (CC BY 2.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The building
It is influenced by Persian architecture and has been compared with Buddhist pagodas. It is a quadrangle with four turrets, one in the middle of each side, with pyramidal roofs, linked by halls around a square courtyard with a tank and fountain at its centre. Its walls are of burnt brick, and 378 deodar columns carry the roof of the halls. Wikipedia says the mosque was destroyed by fire three times and restored each time, and that the present building was raised by the emperor Aurangzeb in 1672.
Visiting
By road it is about 5 minutes and 3.3 km from the centre of the city on our routing. It is an active place of worship, and we have no verified rules or hours for visitors, so ask locally on the day, dress modestly, remove your shoes and avoid Friday prayer time.
Combine it with
The Khanqah-e-Moula is a short drive away, and Hari Parbat Fort overlooks the district. The two-day plan joins them; read things to do in Srinagar and when to visit.
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Questions people ask
What is the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar?
The Friday mosque of the old city, at Nowhatta, commissioned by Sultan Sikandar in 1394 and completed in 1402. Wikipedia counts it among the most important mosques in Kashmir. Fires destroyed it three times, and the present building was raised under Aurangzeb in 1672, with a quadrangle of four turrets around a courtyard.
What is special about its architecture?
It is influenced by Persian architecture and likened to Buddhist pagodas, with four turrets that have pyramidal roofs and a garden courtyard with a central tank. Wikipedia says 378 wooden columns of deodar support the roof of the main halls. The courtyard follows the traditional chaar bagh plan, with chinar trees.
Can visitors go in?
We have no verified visiting rules, hours or dress requirements, and access to the mosque has varied over the years. It is an active place of worship, so ask locally on the day, dress modestly, remove your shoes and follow any instruction at the gate. It is best visited outside Friday prayer time.