Jama Masjid: relics and a legendary cup

We end in front of Shah Jahan's great mosque, but this time we'll look at what can't be seen. Let's start with its official name: Masjid-i Jahan-Numa, "the mosque that shows the world".

1The cup of Jamshid

The name seems to allude to a Persian legend: the cup of Jamshid, the Jam-i Jahan-Numa. According to the poets, this mythical king owned a cup in which he could see everything happening in the universe. Shah Jahan, a great lover of Persian poetry, may have wanted his mosque to be that cup: a place from which the world could be contemplated.

2The relics

In a pavilion beside the mosque's north gate, objects that tradition attributes to the Prophet Muhammad are kept: a hair from his beard, a sandal and a footprint on a marble slab. There's also an ancient Quran attributed to the hand of his descendants. For many of the faithful these are objects of deep devotion. Their authenticity, like that of almost every relic in the world, belongs to the realm of faith.

A footprint in stone can be history, symbol or miracle: it depends on who is looking.

3The mosque that nearly vanished

What is documented is how close it came to destruction. After 1857 the British considered demolishing or selling it. They used it as a barracks until 1862 and, meanwhile, razed the whole neighbourhood around it.

4What to look for

• The north gate, beside which the relics are kept.
• The ablution pool in the courtyard, visible from the gateway.
• The minarets, from which the call to prayer rang out long before loudspeakers.