Top 5: Mosques to Visit in India

Islam first arrived in India in the 7^th century on the boats of Arab traders. The country’s first mosque, Cheraman Juma Masjid, in Kerala, was built in 629 AD by Malik Deenar, and is still standing today. Here are five beautiful mosques to see on the Indian subcontinent.

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Sharif Dargah, Ajmer, Rajasthan

This burial shrine houses the grave of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, who established the Chishti Order of Sufism of India during the 10^th century. The mosque is known for its open spirit toward community, congregated by Hindus and Muslims alike.

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Moti Masjid, Bhopal

Bhopal has a tradition of progressive women and its famous mosque is one of the few to have been built by one. Sikander Begum was daughter of Qudsia Begum, the first female ruler of the city and, in 1860, recognized by the British as leader of the Bhopal in her own right.

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Jama Masjid, Delhi

Old Delhi’s sandstone and marble mosque is the largest in India, built by the famed Mughal emperor and architect Shah Jahan, whose credits also include the Taj Mahal and the nearby Red Fort. Jahan started construction in 1644 with 1 million rupees, and today it regularly accommodates more than 25,000 devotees at a time.

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Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai

This mosque and dargah is one of the most iconic landmarks of Mumbai. Haji Ali was built 500 meters of the coast of Worli, connected by a causeway only accessible at low tide. It was built in 1431 in memory of the merchant Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari who gave up all his worldly possession before making pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad

Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, commissioned 8,000 workers to complete Makkah Masjid. The three granite facades were carved from a single piece of granite and the bricks were made from soil imported straight from Mecca, hence its name.