| Jama Mosque, Agra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Agra,Uttar Pradesh,India |
  India Show map of Uttar Pradesh Jama Mosque, Agra (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates | 27°10′55.4″N78°00′58.3″E / 27.182056°N 78.016194°E /27.182056; 78.016194 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Congregational mosque |
| Founder | Jahanara Begum |
| Groundbreaking | 1643 |
| Completed | 1648 |
| Construction cost | 5lakhrupees |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 3 |
| Site area | 1200 square metres |
| Materials | Red sandstone,marble |
TheJama Mosque is a 17th-centurycongregational mosque located in the historic core ofAgra,Uttar Pradesh. It was built byJahanara Begum, the eldest daughter ofMughal EmperorShah Jahan, during the latter's reign. It is the principal mosque in the city of Agra, and lies close toAgra Fort.[1]
According to accounts in the official court chronicle,Shahjahannama, the Jama Masjid originated from an imperial decree byMughal emperorShah Jahan in the year 1637. Shah Jahan ordered that a new mosque be built inAgra, situated alongside a newchowk (plaza) in front of theAgra Fort's Delhi gate. Shah Jahan's eldest daughter, the princessJahanara Begum, requested permission from the emperor to personally endow the new mosque, which was granted. This was one of several reconstruction projects of the period inMughal Agra, and represented a renewed attempt at building a congregational mosque for the city; the construction of one had commenced earlier by theYamuna river, but this was interrupted and abandoned when attention was diverted towards completing theTaj Mahal.Ebba Koch suggests two possible reasons for the shift in location to the area around the fort; either the riverfront area was deemed more residential than religious, or the new mosque was feared to overshadow the Taj Mahal's mosque building. Wayne Begley provides the reason of the older site being too distant from the city.[2][3][4]
The construction site was on land mostly owned by the crown, though some of it had to be bought from its private owners. A number of houses were demolished to widen the streets leading to the mosque. Construction of the mosque began in 1643; scholarCatherine Asher attributes the delay to the purchase of land. The mosque was completed in 1648, coming at a cost of five lakhrupees.[5][4][2] The newly-constructedchowk spanned the area between the mosque and the Agra Fort, and was known as Tripolia.[3]
The mosque's main gate, and an enclosure adjoined to the mosque's eastern side, were destroyed around theIndian Mutiny of 1857 by a British garrison occupying the Agra fort. The purpose was to provide a clearer line of fire for gunners of the fort. The mosque was alsomined with gunpowder, rigged to explode, on account of being a security threat due to its proximity to the fort. By 1875, the Tripoliachowk was no longer extant; it was destroyed to make way for a railway station near the fort.[3][6]
The Jama Masjid of Agra is an early example of imperial city-mosques endowed during the reign of Shah Jahan.[7] It is primarily built of red sandstone, with white marble used intermittently. The mosque covers an area of 1200 square metres, and is elevated above ground level by a raised podium. Decoration on the mosque structure consists ofreliefs andmouldings, executed in sandstone with marble inlays.[1][5] The mosque's plan and elevation are similar to that of theWazir Khan Mosque, another Mughal mosque of Shah Jahan, built a decade prior inLahore.[7][5]
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The prayer chamber of the Jama Masjid bears five entrance archways, with the central one being set within a highpishtaq. Thepishtaq featuresPersian inscriptions (largely praising the rule of Shah Jahan), executed as black letters inlaid in white marble, similar to theTaj Mahal.[5] The prayer chamber is topped by three bulbous domes, which are decorated in aherringbone (zigzag) pattern of red and white stone. The domes are topped with lotus-flower finials.[1] The prayer chamber contains aminbar (pulpit), typical of congregational mosques, but theminbar is unique in that it bears an engraving of the mosque's east facade.[5]
Thesahn (courtyard) of the mosque is enclosed on two sides. These sides are continuous arcades, bearing axial gates. In the centre of the courtyard is a pool, meant forritual ablutions.[1][7]
An engraving of this mosque from a painting by William Purser appears in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832 together with a poetical illustration byLetitia Elizabeth Landon.[8]
Tourist attractions in and nearAgra | ||
|---|---|---|
| World Heritage Sites |  | |
| Mughal architecture | ||
| Mosques | ||
| Other religious places | ||
| Shopping | ||
| Gardens | ||
| Wildlife sanctuaries | ||
| Fairs | ||
