Opposite the fort and overlooking Agra Fort railway station, the Jami Masjid or "Friday Mosque" was built by Shah Jahan in 1648 and dedicated to his favourite daughter, Jahanara Begum. Standing on a high plinth approached by stairs, and with five arched entrances to the courtyard, the mosque is crowned by three large sandstone domes distinguished by their zigzag bands of marble. Along the wings of the main prayer wall, panels of beautifully inlaid sandstone similar to those decorating the main gateway of the Taj Mahal, add an appropriately feminine touch. Still in use today, the mosque is one of the city's main landmarks, and serves as a useful reference point when exploring the crowded bazaars that sprawl from its base. These are laid out in a street plan that's barely altered since Moghul days, and is best negotiated on foot. Opposite the northeast corner of the complex, look out for the pehta-wallahs , purveyors of Agra's most famous sweets, which are made from crystallized pumpkins (and devoured with relish by the wasps living in the eves of the mosque mihrab arches).

 

The Jama Masjid can be reached from the road running northwest from the fort; alternatively, avoid the traffic by approaching through the station, taking a shortcut through the mail office on the far platform. For photography, the optimum time to visit is between 7 and 8am, when the morning sun accentuates the warm reds of the stonework