The Jama Mosque (''Masjid'') is a 17th-century

congregational mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as '' jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the to ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, India. It was built by Abd-al-Nabi Khan, governor of Mathura during the reign of

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled ...

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

History

The Jama Masjid was commissioned in the period 1660-1661 by Abd-al-Nabi Khan, ''

faujdar Faujdar is a term of pre-Mughal origins. Under the Mughals it was an office that combined the functions of a military commander along with judicial and land revenue functions. In pre-Mughal times, the term referred to a military officer but d ...

'' of Mathura under Aurangzeb. It was one of the earliest non-imperial structures erected during Aurangzeb's reign. The ground which Abd-al-Nabi Khan selected as the site of his mosque was purchased from some butchas and the remainder, he obtained from a family of Kazis, whose descendants still occupy what is called Kusk Mahalla, one of the very few quarters of the city that are known by a Persian name. They continued to be regarded as zamindars of the township till the time of Jats. When Saijid Bakir, their head quarreled with the local governor and made over all his rights to Chaubes, and others.

Architecture

The Jama Masjid is located at the centre and highest point of Mathura, raised from the ground by a plinth. It was constructed using red sandstone. The mosque has four

minarets A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally ...

that are each 40 m (132 ft) high. A gateway stands in front of the mosque, featuring tile-work. Within the courtyard is a large

ablution Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to: * Ablution as hygiene * Ablution as ritual purification ** Ablution in Islam: *** Wudu, daily wash *** Ghusl, bathing ablution *** Tayammum, waterless ablution ** Ablution in Christianity ** ...

pool, as well as several rectangular pavilions. These pavilions feature ''bangla'' roofs and

ogival An ogive ( ) is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. Ogive curves and surfaces are used in engineering, architecture and woodworking. Etymology The earliest use of the word ''ogive'' is found in the 13th c ...

archways. The main prayer hall is smaller in scale than the gateway and minarets. Atop the prayer hall are three bulbous domes, of which the central one is the largest. The hall's facade historically had the ninety-nine names of Allah with Persian inscriptions on either side.

References

{{Commons category, Jama Masjid, Mathura Mosques in Uttar Pradesh Mathura Mughal mosques Religious buildings and structures completed in 1662