Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, constructed in 1908, is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. The structure catches the eye with its distinguished white and red striped exterior. Furthermore, it features a hybrid style finely integrating Gothic Revival and Neo-Classical elements into Indo-Saracenic architecture.
The mosque’s tall minarets and the clocktower are visible from almost every street in the Pettah district. Accordingly, some claim that Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque has been a landmark for sailors since its construction.
Designed by a lesser-known architect named Habibu Lebbe Saibu Lebbe, the red mosque has a rather unconventional color pattern in addition to the unusual choice of pomegranate domes instead of onion-shaped domes. In 2007, a new wing was constructed near the mosque in order to increase its capacity from 1,500 to 10,000.
