Visit the red and white mosque in Colombo

"The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque" was built in 1910 in the Pettah district of Colombo for the Muslim community of Pettah, and its atypical architecture made it the symbol of the city of Colombo for several years after its construction.

A daring blend of Indo-Islamic, Gothic and neoclassical styles, the mosque looks more like a railway station than a religious building, yet the structure, originally intended to accommodate 1,500 worshippers, is being extended. The Haji Omar Trust, a non-governmental organisation, is buying up plots of land around the big red mosque so that it can be enlarged to accommodate 10,000 people. It would appear that the red mosque was inspired by the *Masjid Jamek mosque in Kuala Lumpur**. It is the oldest mosque in the capital of Malaysia.

Today, the building is recognisable by the red and white stripes that decorate its exterior walls. Its atypical architecture and colours make it a tourist attraction, as well as an important religious building in the capital. Its enormous arched doorway, with its rounded mouldings and psychedelic geometric patterns, intrigues as much as it beckons. Inside the building, the floors and walls are gracefully decorated. Stained glass adorns the windows, beaded chandeliers hang from the ceiling and gilded ornaments frame the windows.

From the roof of the Red Mosque, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city of Colombo.

The Pettah district of Colombo is vibrant and multicultural. A stroll through this district is a condensed version of Sri Lanka. There are modern restaurants, bars, street food stalls, religious buildings, colonial buildings and typical Sri Lankan markets.

Although prayers are held 5 times a day, during certain set times, Friday prayers are much more important. In the Islamic religion, Friday is a crucial day. It is the day of collective prayer, when the community prays as a group and demonstrates its unity. It is also a day of openness to others and of sharing. For this reason, the building can only be visited outside prayer hours, from Saturday to Thursday.