Jama Masjid

Those of you who visit here regularly will know that I traveled during March and early April of this year. Today for "Somewhere Saturday" here are a few photos from Delhi, India, one of the cities that I visited. One of the most imposing buildings in Delhi is in what is called "Old Delhi" and was built by the same Mughal emperor who built the famous Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan. The building pictured here is the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. It was built in about 1650, roughly the same period that saw the construction of some of the great Christian cathedrals in Europe. Above is the stairway proceeding to the entrance. The knot of people to the right at the top of the stairs are visitors removing their shoes before entering the great courtyard that lies in front of the mosque (left). On Fridays this courtyard holds as many as 25,000 worshippers while many more pray inside. Below is a view of the outside wall of the courtyard looking towards the famed Red Fort, whose towers are faintly visible through the trees. April in Delhi is HOT - it was 32°C (90°F) during our visit to the mosque.