Jama Mosque, Kalaburagi

For similarly named mosques, see List of grand mosques.

The Jama Masjid, also known as the Friday Mosque of Gulbarga, the Great Mosque of Gulbarga Fort, and formally as the Jamia Masjid - Qila-e-Hasham, is a Friday mosque located in Kalaburagi (formerly known as Gulbarga), in the state of Karnataka, India.^[1] The mosque is located within the Gulbarga Fort complex, in Kalaburagi.

Jama Masjid
The mosque, in 1880
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Mosque
Status	Active
Location
Location	Gulbarga Fort, Kalaburagi (formerly known as Gulbarga), Karnataka
Country	India
Location of the mosque in Karnataka
Geographic coordinates	17°20′26″N 76°49′52″E
Architecture
Type	Mosque architecture
Style	Bahmani
Completed	1367 CE
Specifications
Capacity	2,000 worshippers
Length	66 m (216 ft)
Width	54 m (177 ft)
Dome(s)	67 (estimate)
Materials	Lime bricks

In 2014, UNESCO placed the building on its "tentative list" to become a World Heritage Site, under the name Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate.^[a][2]

History

The mosque was built in 1367 by Bahmani Sultan Mohammed Shah I to commemorate the establishment of the capital in Gulbarga following the defeat Kapaya Nayaka of Warangal. The mosque was designed by a Persian architect, Rafi, and built within the Kalaburagi Fort complex.^[3] It is one of the earliest Friday mosques in South India.^[4]

Architecture

The Kalaburagi Friday Mosque is notable for its divergence from typical mosque architecture of the time.^[4] The basic layout is similar to that of a courtyard mosque, except that the central courtyard is covered by sixty-three small domes. The mosque also lacks minarets, instead having four larger domes at each corner of the mosque. Three of the four outer walls are also open to sunlight, while the qibla is solid.

Gallery

• 
  Arches inside the mosque
• 
  Arches inside the mosque
• 
  Arches inside the mosque
• 
  Another view of arches inside the mosque
• 
  Entrance of the mosque, constructed in the Moorish style
• 
  View of the mosque, in monsoon, covered with seasonal grass

See also

• India portal
• Islam portal

• Islam in India
• List of mosques in India

Notes

1. The singular use of "Sultanate" by UNESCO implies the existence of just one Sultanate. However, there were a number of different Sultanates.