The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Ahmedabad, India - a historical structure of architectural finesse!

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque Ahmedabad, Sid-The Wanderer

The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque,Ahmedabad. Alam

The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, also  locally known as Sidi Saiyyid ni Jali,  was  built in 1573 by Sidi Saiyyid  with  Bilal Jhajar Khan, army general  of the last Sultan Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah III of the Gujarat Sultanate  in the final year of its existence as confirmed  by the inscriptions in the marble tablet fixed on the wall of the mosque. Sidi Saiyyid was an Abyssinian  from Yemen and, it is said, that when the construction of the mosque was on, he was well supported by about 45 talented craftsmen. Being  the most famous mosque  of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, it is richly decorated and the intricate designs  carved in marble stones will bear testimony to the extraordinary talents and workmanship of the artisans of that period.  The mosque has become a popular tourist spot for its architectural finesse  as well as for its ornate jali work. This architecturally  rich  mosque is positively a  symbol of a period  when Gujarat  was in its heyday   under prosperous Muslim rule. Grandeur in  style, the delicate  lattice work in the mosque is also the reason why the Indo-Islamic piece of art work is often tagged to as the Sidi Saiyyed Ni Jali.

Ahmedabad,Sidi Saiyyed mosque.en.wikipedia.org

Above image: Lattice window Sidi Saiyyed mosque. Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The marble screen from inside..............

Marble lattice window, Sidi Syyid mosque, Ahmedabad. Sid-The Wanderer

Sidi Syyid mosque,Ahmedaba,commons wikipedia org.

Sidi Syyid mosque,Ahmedabad.bharatestates.com

Inside the mosque are found ten amazingly carved stone lattice windows (jalis) on the side and rear arches and they reveal that only artisans of superb skills can come up with nicely finished stone works of eye-catching geometrical designs  with minute details.  The two bays flanking the central aisle have richly carved  stone slabs showing a network designs  of intertwined trees and foliage and a palm motif. The lattice stone window, an awe-inspiring Indo-Islamic artwork  may defy the visitors' imagination. Grandeur in  style, the delicate  lattice work in the mosque is also the reason why the Indo-Islamic piece of art work is often tagged as the Sidi Saiyyed ni Jali.   The famous ‘tree of life jali’ or the lattice work done in the semi-circular arch form is being used as the unofficial symbol of city of Ahmedabad and the  logo of the famous Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The 10 semi-circular meshed windows in the mosque, more popularly known as ‘Jali’ are a treat to the eyes. They just awe-inspiring and exotic.

That the central window arch of the mosque is blocked with stone instead of intricate stone jali suggests that  the builder could not complete the construction of mosque as planned before  on account of Mogul invasion into Gujarat under Akbar.  During the Raj, it served as a government office. Presently, it is being managed by the ASI -Archaeological Survey of India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Saiyyed_Mosque. It is said he mosque is still being used by Muslims for prayer and ‘Namaaz’.
http://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-the-sidi-saiyyed-mosque-4841489/