Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque ( si, කොලඹ කොටුව රතු පල්ලිය , translit= Kolomba Kotuwa Rathu Palliya, ta, மஸ்ஜிதுல் ஜாமிஉல் அஃபார்
அல்லது சம்மாங்கோடு பள்ளிவாசல் , translit=Sammankodu Pallivasal,
(known colloquially as the ''Samman Kottu Palli'',
''Rathu Palliya'', ''Red Masjid'' or the ''Red Mosque'') is a historic
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
in
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
,
Sri Lanka. It is located on Second Cross Street in
Pettah
Pettah may refer to:
* Pettah of Ahmednagar, a fortified town outside the Fort of Ahmednagar stormed by British soldiers in 1803 during Second Anglo-Maratha War
* Pettah, Colombo, a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City centr ...
. The mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo and a popular tourist site in the city.
History
Construction of the Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque commenced in 1908 and the building was completed in 1909.
The mosque was commissioned by the local Indian Muslim community, based in Pettah, to fulfill their required five-times-daily prayer and
Jummah on Fridays. The mosque's designer and builder was Habibu Lebbe Saibu Lebbe (an unlettered architect), and was based on details/images of
Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...
structures provided by South Indian traders, who commissioned him.
It is a hybrid style of architecture, that draws elements from native Indo-Islamic and Indian architecture, and combines it with the
Gothic revival and
Neo-classical styles. Originally it had the capacity for 1,500 worshippers although at the time only around 500 were attending prayers.
It is a distinctive red and white candy-striped two-storey building, with a clock tower, and is reminiscent of the
Jamek Mosque
Jamek Mosque, officially Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque ( ms, Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad) is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River and may be accessed via Jala ...
in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, sub ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
(constructed in 1910).
Before other landmarks were built, some claim that the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque was recognised as the landmark of Colombo by sailors approaching the port.
In 1975 the mosque, with the assistance of the Haji Omar Trust,
[ purchased a number of the adjoining properties and commenced building an expansion to the mosque to increase its capacity to 10,000.]
See also
* Islam in Sri Lanka
Islam is the third largest religion in Sri Lanka with about 9.7 percent of the total population. The main Muslim concentrations occur in Eastern Province. In other areas, such as in the cities of the western, north western and central Sri L ...
References
{{Mosques in Sri Lanka
Mosques in Colombo
Mosques completed in 1909
Tourist attractions in Colombo