Opening Hours: 09:00 to 17:00
Price: The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque is free to visit.
The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, also known as The Red Mosque, is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo. With its colorful outside and architectural beauty, it is a very popular sight among tourists in Sri Lanka. And we understand the hype surrounding the mosque, because it is worth a walk in the heat to see this beautiful Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque.
Where is the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque?
The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque is situated in the busy Pettah-district in Colombo. This area is one of the oldest in the city. From most of the streets, you can just make the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque out.
To find the mosques you should walk towards the colors or this address:
228 2nd Cross Street
Colombo
Sri Lanka
The history of The Red Mosque
The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo. Back in the 7th century AD Sri Lanka, at the time known as Ceylon, was a center for trade. With the location on the spice- and the silk road a lot of Arab moved to Sri Lanka. Most of them settled in Galle and Colombo. Especially had a big population of Muslims – who needed mosques. Therefore, the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque was built in 1908 to give the people a place to pray and uphold their religion. They even say that the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque became a landmark for tradesmen on a ship to find Colombo.
Good to know about the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
When visiting the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque you should be aware that it is a religious place and therefore sacred for the population.
You can visit the mosque by looking from the outside. When doing this there are no restrictions to follow. But be careful when you take pictures – the locals are entitled to some privacy.
If you choose to go inside the mosque your shoulders and knees need to be covered. This goes for both men and women. As a woman, your hair needs to be covered as well.
Lastly, you should show respect for the locals to be found in the mosque. That means not taking any pictures of them and being quiet, so they can pray in silence. But you can still take pictures of the beautiful building.