Red Mosque
Colombo
Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque also known as the Red Mosque is a historic
mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is located on Second Cross Street in
Pettah. 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 Labbe Saibu Labbe (an unqualified
architect), and was based on details/images of Indo-Saracenic
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