Masjid-i Jehan Numa, Old Delhi

Jama Masjid, Delhi

The Mosque That Commands the Skyline

Three great gateways, four towers, two minarets of alternating sandstone and marble — Masjid-i Jehan Numa, the "mosque commanding the view of the world," rises over Old Delhi as the Mughal capital's exclamation mark. Shah Jahan's last great mosque (1650–56): courtyard for 25,000, prayer hall for the city's Friday thousands still.

What Is Here

• The courtyard: among the largest mosque sahns on earth — pigeons, pilgrims, and photographers in negotiated peace
• The relic chamber (north gate): Quran on deerskin, the Prophet's footprint, hair, and sandals — shown on request
• The minarets: 40 metres, striped sandstone-marble, climbable south tower for the Old Delhi panorama
• Inlay work: white-marble prayer-markers and floral pietra dura in the Mughal late style

Visiting

• Active worship; tourists welcome outside prayer times (small camera fee, robes provided); Fridays noon–2 PM closed to visitors
• Climb before 10 AM for light and fewer crowds; descend into Karim's lane and Meena Bazaar after