Sidi Saiyyed Mosque

Mosque in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, popularly known as Sidi Saiyyid ni Jali locally, built in 1572–73 AD (Hijri year 980), is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad, a city in the state of Gujarat, India. The mosque was built by Sidi Sayyad, a Habshi nobleman, in 1572–73.

The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, popularly known as Sidi Saiyyid ki/ni Jali locally, built in 1572 73 AD (Hijri year 980), is one of the most famous mosques of Ahmedabad, a city in the state of Gujarat, India. As attested by the marble tablet fixed on the wall of the mosque, it was built by Shaikh Sa'id Al Habshi Sultani. Sidi Sa'id was originally a slave of Rumi Khan, a Turkish general who had come to Gujarat from Yemen, bringing along with him his Habshi slaves. Sidi Sa'id later served Sultan Mahmud III, and upon his death, joined the Abyssinian general Jhujhar Khan. Upon Sidi Sa'id's retirement from military service, Jhujhar Khan granted him a jagir. Sidi Sa'id over his career became a prominent nobleman: he collected a library, owned over a hundred slaves, performed the Hajj pilgrimage, and instituted a langar (public kitchen). Previously at the site there was a smaller brick mosque, which was rebuilt by Sidi Sa'id, and he was buried near the mosque when he died in 1576. The mosque was built in the last year of the existence of Gujarat Sultanate. The central window arch of the mosque, where one would expect to see another intricate jali, is instead walled with stone. This is possibly because the mosque was not completed according to plan before the Mughals invaded Gujarat.