Jami Masjid of Jaunpur

Jaunpur, India

The Jami Masjid is the largest and the most ambitious of the Jaunpur mosques. It was built in 1470 by Husayn Shah (1458-1483), the last ruler of the Sharqi dynasty. Built on a six meter high plinth, the mosque is accessed by an imposing flight of steps. Its plan, similar to previous Sharqi mosques, consists of a long rectangular prayer hall occupying the western side of a colonnaded courtyard.

The prayer hall is centered around a square sanctuary, covered by a dome that measures 11.4 meters in diameter. Windows pierced into the dome's drum illuminate the interior. On either side of the sanctuary are barrel-vaulted galleries that are accessed from three arched openings along the courtyard facade. The focal point of the façade is the main portal, which measures 25.7 meters in height and 23.42 meters in width at the base. Imposing portals such as this one were central to Sharqi style mosques.

Sources:

Nath, R. 1978. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi, Abhinav Publications, 102-104.

Williams, John A. and Caroline. 1980. Architecture of Muslim India. Set 4: The Sultanate of Jaunpur, about 1360-1480. Santa Barbara, California: Visual Education, Inc.