Jami Mosque, Delhi

A mosque (Arabic, masjid) literally means a place where one prostrates oneself in prayer. In large mosques such as this, large congregations of worshippers come to pray together.

Muslims can perform prayer almost anywhere, but the most favored place is in the mosque. Prayers, wherever they take place, must be performed in the direction of Mecca, specifically to the Kaaba. This direction is indicated by the kiblah, a word meaning "direction of prayer." It is indicated in a mosque by a wall (referred to as the kiblah wall) that is usually marked by a niche called the mihrab. This photograph shows the side of the mosque marking the direction of Mecca.

The Jami Mosque is the principal mosque of Shahjahanabad, known today as Old Delhi. The mosque was built between 1644 and 1649 by Jahanara Begum, the daughter of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who was an active patron of the arts and a noted scholar. This mosque is one of the largest in India and continues to function as a congregational mosque, and has remained an important commercial and civic center for the city. Shah Jahan called it the Masjid-i-Jahannuma, or the "World- Displaying Mosque."

Large congregational mosques such as this one were important symbols: the building and upkeep of the mosque was traditionally seen as the responsibility of the state and the maintenance of the mosque was equivalent to maintaining the welfare of the community.