Description of the attraction
Another famous mosque in India - the Thousand Lights Mosque - is located in the ancient city of Chennai (Madras). It was built in 1810 by order of the ruler of Newab Umdat-ul-Umrah, and is a large Shiite shrine. However, the doors of this mosque are open not only for Shiites, but also for other Muslims.
Initially, the building was conceived as a hall where Shiites could gather for prayer and for celebrations during the holy month of Muharram. But a few years after its creation, this place was converted into a mosque.
Its magnificent name - "The Mosque of a Thousand Lights" - the temple received due to the fact that in the place where it is located, there was previously a Assembly Hall, for the illumination of which thousands of candles were actually used.
The entire temple complex is surrounded by a wall and covers an area of about two hectares. On its territory, in addition to the mosque itself, there is a library and a cemetery. The mosque was rebuilt many times, but still retained its distinctive features. In the architecture of the building itself, you can see the influence of the West, and it differs from the traditional style of other famous mosques in India, which were mainly built during the time of the Great Mughals. The main features of the Thousand Lights Mosque are five wide carved domes that have a flattened shape and look like mushroom caps. Also noteworthy are its two high and laconic minarets. On the walls of the mosque, you can see inscriptions that represent quotes from the holy book of Muslims - the Koran.
Another distinguishing feature of this mosque is that it has a special separate hall where exclusively women pray.
