Opposite the
fort and overlooking Agra Fort railway station, the Jami Masjid or "Friday
Mosque" was built by Shah Jahan in 1648 and dedicated to his
favourite daughter, Jahanara Begum. Standing on a high plinth approached
by stairs, and with five arched entrances to the courtyard, the mosque
is crowned by three large sandstone domes distinguished by their zigzag
bands of marble.

Along
the wings of the main prayer wall, panels of beautifully inlaid
sandstone similar to those decorating the main gateway of the Taj Mahal,
add an appropriately feminine touch. Still in use today, the mosque is
one of the city's main landmarks, and serves as a useful reference point
when exploring the crowded bazaars that sprawl from its base. These are
laid out in a street plan that's barely altered since Moghul days, and
is best negotiated on foot. Opposite the northeast corner of the
complex, look out for the pehta-wallahs, purveyors of Agra's most famous
sweets, which are made from crystallized pumpkins (and devoured with
relish by the wasps living in the eves of the mosque mihrab arches).
Jami
Masjid is beautifully decorated with paintings, inlaid stones, carvings
and glazed tiles. The building comprises of pillared Dalan, a beautiful
'Chhajja' and the 'Chhatri' on the roof. The main Iwan of the building
is rather simple and contains a central arch with geometrical designs.