“Sailors once used this candy-striped red-and-white mosque as a landmark to find Colombo's harbour from out at sea.”
About Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
Jami Ul-Alfar was completed in 1909 to serve the Muslim merchants of Pettah, Colombo's dense commercial quarter. Its flamboyant red-and-white striped design, combining several architectural influences, made it instantly recognisable and, by tradition, a navigational aid for ships approaching the port. Over a century later it is still a working mosque and a defining image of the city.
The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, widely known as the Red Mosque, is one of Colombo's most photographed landmarks, a striking building of bold red-and-white candy stripes in the busy bazaar district of Pettah. Its layered domes, towers and patterned brickwork make it look almost like a confection rising above the crowded market streets.
Its layered domes, towers and patterned brickwork make it look almost like a confection rising above the crowded market streets.
A Landmark for Sailors
Completed in 1909, the mosque was built to serve the Muslim trading community of Pettah, the heart of Colombo's commerce. Its distinctive red-and-white striped facade, in an eclectic style blending Indo-Saracenic and other influences, made it a prominent landmark, and it is said that sailors approaching Colombo once used the towering striped building to help locate the harbour. It remains an active mosque at the centre of the noisy bazaar.
The Experience
You come upon the mosque amid the chaos of Pettah's market streets, its candy-striped towers and domes rising above stalls selling everything imaginable. The exterior is the main draw, especially for photographers, set against the colour and noise of the bazaar. Visitors may sometimes enter outside prayer times with appropriate modest dress, but the building is best appreciated from the street.
Why It Matters
The Red Mosque is one of Colombo's most beloved landmarks and a symbol of the city's diverse, multi-faith character and its long history as a trading port. Its role as a sailors' marker ties it directly to the maritime commerce on which Colombo was built.
The Red Mosque is one of Colombo's most beloved landmarks and a symbol of the city's diverse, multi-faith character and its long history as a trading port.
Why Visit
Colombo's iconic candy-striped Red Mosque, a flamboyant landmark rising above the colourful chaos of the Pettah bazaar, and one of the city's best photo stops.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Dress modestly; cover shoulders and legs to enter.
- 2
Visit outside prayer times, especially avoiding Friday midday.
- 3
The striped exterior is the highlight for photographers.
- 4
It sits in the busy Pettah bazaar, ideal for a market walk.
