Cheraman Juma Masjid

The Cheraman - Friday mosque ( Cheraman Juma Masjid ) is a mosque in the town of Kodungallur ( Cranganore ) in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is believed that it was built by Malik Ibn Dinar 629. It is the oldest mosque in India and the second oldest Friday Mosque world.

History

The mosque was built during the lifetime of Muhammad, so that suspects that some of his followers might be buried here. Unlike other mosques in Kerala this mosque is oriented eastward rather than westward.

Since ancient times, there were trading contacts between the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. When Islam appeared on the scene, did Arab traders the new religion in India. Many Indians who lived in the coastal areas of Kerala, converted to Islam. It is said that King Cheraman Perumal was the first convert to Islam in India.

Architecture

The mosque was originally built in the traditional style of Hindu temple. According to the Hindu tradition one used in the mosque oil lamps made ​​of brass. It is believed that a white block of marble from Mecca originates. The Cheraman - Friday Mosque was rebuilt several times throughout its history, so that the original design did not receive. In the adaptations of the traditional Keralite steep roofs were dismantled and replaced by flat roofs, domes and minarets of Middle Eastern modeled after.