Jami Mosque, Khambhat

The Masjid is located in Khambat or Cambay, which was a prosperous mercantile port town during the 7th to the 18th century. It is at the estuary of the Mahi river. It is 100 kilometres (62 mi) away from Ahmedabad and 78 km away from Vadodara, Gujarat.[3][4]

Alauddin Khalji (1296–1315) invaded Gujarat and captured Khambat in 1324.[3] During his invasions in Gujarat he had destroyed many Hindu and Jain temples. According to an inscription on the mosque, it was built in 1325 AD from the ruins of the earlier monuments. Umar bin Ahmad al-Kazaruni, a businessman of the town, is credited with building the mosque. This structure is a congregational mosque which marks the start of Islamic architecture in Gujarat and is distinct in style.[4][5]

Entrance corridor area of Jami Masjid from the eastern wall.

The mosque's architecture marks the evolution of the Indo-Islamic architecture.[2] Its architectural features do not display any minarets but toranas are seen in the central arches of the mosque which represent architecture of the Gujarat Sultanate.[5]

The interior part of the mosque has a colonnaded open courtyard which is built with 100 columns supporting roofs built from the ruins of Hindu and Jain temples.[6] The prayer hall has many compartments topped by low domes, which are unique and are different from those which crown the mihrab's niches. The domes are provided with latticed windows made in the architectural style of Gujarat.[3][4] The columns are set in two rows with each row consisting of 26 columns forming a passage that separates the wall in the front from the first row. In addition, there are eight rows formed by six pillars in each row, which are next to the facade; these result in the formation of 14 chambers and each chamber is topped by a dome.[6] There are arcaded entrances to the aisle of the mosque which are provided with a flat roof. In the middle portion of the mosque which hides the domes of the roof, there are jambs which rise to a height of about 40 feet (12 m) and these are topped by sharp finials.[3]

Omar bin Ahmad Al Kazaruni's Tomb in the Jami Masjid, Khambhat (Cambay)

In the southern part of the mosque there is a colonnaded hall in a square shape but with a circular inner court where the tomb of Umar bin Ahmad al-Kazaruni, who died in 1333, is located. It is built of marble. In addition, there are many smaller tombs of the 14th and 15th centuries. There are also remnants of a fort built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.[4] There are many engravings on various parts of this tomb structure such as the first twelve and a half verses of the Surah XXXVI, Surah II, v. 256 – the Throne-verse," the conclusion of verse 151 of Surah II, Surah XXXVI, v. 52, Surah III,vv. 16 and 17 and Surah vv. 163–165. On the western part of the tomb is the Epitaph which has an inscription of Surah XXXVI, vv. 65–71.[7]