Red Mosque (Jami Ul-Alfar)
Western Province
About Red Mosque (Jami Ul-Alfar)
The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque - everyone calls it the Red Mosque - is the most photographed building in Pettah, and one glance explains why: a soaring confection of red-and-white candy stripes, barber-pole columns, pomegranate-shaped domes, and layered minarets, rising improbably above the bazaar chaos of Second Cross Street. Completed in 1909 to serve Pettah's Muslim traders, its Indo-Saracenic exuberance became a landmark in the literal sense - sailors entering the harbour were told to look for the striped mosque to know they had reached Colombo. It remains a working mosque at the heart of the market district; visitors are welcomed outside prayer times (modest dress; robes lent at the door), and the rooftop levels open views over Pettah's mercantile mayhem. Combine it with the surrounding bazaar streets - each historically dedicated to its own trade - for Colombo's most sensory hour.
Top Activities
- ✓The striped facade and minarets
- ✓Guided interior visits between prayers
- ✓Pettah bazaar street exploration
- ✓Photography from Second Cross Street
- ✓Combine with Fort's colonial quarter
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Visit between prayer times; the caretakers happily show visitors around.
Modest dress required - cover shoulders and knees (robes available).
The classic photo is from across Second Cross Street, wide lens.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round; mid-morning between prayers
Weather
Hot and busy; mornings are calmest in the bazaar.
Estimated Daily Budget
6.9387°N, 79.8508°E
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