Jama Masjid (Fatehpur Sikri)

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The Friday Mosque ( Jama Masjid ) in the city ​​of Fatehpur Sikri, founded by Mughal Akbar in the far west of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the country.

Portal zone of the mosque hall

location

The place Fatehpur Sikri is about 36 km (driving distance) southwest of the city of Agra near the border with the state of Rajasthan . The Friday Mosque is adjacent to the former palace building to the southwest and is located at the highest point in the area (approx. 200 m above sea level).

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Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri

history

The Friday Mosque was one of the first buildings in the city ​​of Fatehpur Sikri, which was chosen by the Mughal ruler Akbar as the new capital of the empire around 1570 . The east-facing monumental gate ( Buland Darwaza ) was not started until 1576. In the period that followed, parts of the courtyard area were used as burial places for the deceased from the area around the Mughal court in Agra.

architecture

Most of the components of the mosque, which are built around a huge courtyard, consist in their core of bricks , which were clad with slabs of locally available red sandstone . Geometric or calligraphic incrustations made of white marble or colored glazed ceramic tiles complete the picture. All components of the mosque courtyard (including the gate structures and the galleries) are crowned by small ornamental pavilions ( chhatris ) and are thus visually connected to one another.

mosque

The courtyard mosque shows the three- dome scheme adopted from the Persian-Near Eastern region (e.g. Bukhara ) with a pishtak that covers the central dome. The main hall, marked by pillars and flat ceilings in Hindu style, has several mihrab niches in the qibla wall facing west ( Mecca ) ; some of the decorative arches are decorated with vase or jug ​​motifs ( kalashas ) . The ceiling elements in front of the 3 main mihrabs are designed as domes.

  • Pillar of the mosque hall

  • Dome of the main hall

  • Mihrab niches

Buland Darwaza

The 40 m high and 35 m wide monumental gate in the middle of the east side of the mosque courtyard stands on an artificially raised platform about 13 m high and was not originally planned in this form; it was built as a victory gate in the years after 1573 and may not be completed until 1601. Its outer facade is trapezoidal (or semi-octagonal) and its external effect is enhanced by a staircase leading up to the gate. The numerous incrustations and calligraphies only come into their own in the vicinity. One of the inscriptions reads:

“Jesus, the son of Mary, said: 'The world is a bridge, go over but don't build houses on it. He who hopes for a day may have hope for eternity. The world only lasts an hour; spend it in prayer - the rest is unknown. '"

  • Buland Darwaza (outside)

  • Buland Darwaza (courtyard side)

  • Buland Darwaza (close-up)

Salim Chisthi Mausoleum

The mausoleum for the Sufi scholar Salim Chishti , who died in 1572 and who foretold the birth of a son for Akbar, dates back to the time of the Mughal rulers Jahangir (r. 1605–1627) and Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658). The building, entirely clad in white marble, features some of the finest Jali windows in Mughal architecture .

  • Salim Chishti Mausoleum

  • Curved roof supports ( brackets ) and Jali windows

  • Jali window

  • Floral decor

  • Cenotaph Salim Chishtis

  • Islam Khan Mausoleum and Salim Chishti Mausoleum

Nawab Islam Khan mausoleum

Nawab Islam Khan Chishti (1570-1613) was governor ( subahdar ) of the Mughal Empire in Bengal and the grandson of Salim Chishtis. He was buried at the side of his grandfather and received an elaborately designed dome tomb - but only made of red sandstone. The tomb with its five-part entrance portal also contains finely worked jalis, the individual forms of which, however, are often repeated.

literature

  • EW Smith: Mughal Architecture of Fathpur Sikri. Archaeological Survey of India, Allahabad 1894-97

Web links

Commons : Jama Masjid  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The alleged word of Jesus (Agraphon No. 207), which is known in various versions, is discussed in more detail by Geert van Oyen: Die Welt als Brücke. Agr 207, 2007 ( Memento of the original from August 11, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ev.theologie.uni-mainz.de

Coordinates: 27 ° 5 ′ 41 ″  N , 77 ° 39 ′ 45 ″  E