Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Kodungallur Cheraman Juma Masjid
AO Edited

Cheraman Juma Masjid

Inside India's oldest mosque, a lamp is said to have burnt for 1,000 years without going out.

Kodungallur, India

Added By
Vishnu Menon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Mosque during renovation- this is how the facade looks today   Vishnu Menon / Atlas Obscura User
Mosque during renovation- this is how the facade looks today   Vishnu Menon / Atlas Obscura User
Model of the mosque prior to 1984 extensions   Magnus Manske
Inside the mosque   നിരക്ഷരൻ
Mosque prior to renovation   നിരക്ഷരൻ
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Where is the oldest surviving mosque in South Asia? You may guess it to be somewhere in western Pakistan, perhaps in Sindh, which is known as Bab-ul Islam (the Gate of Islam), since it is where Arab armies first introduced the religion. Or perhaps you may guess it to be further west in the deserts of Baluchistan, which the Arabs would have passed through first. If that was indeed your guess, it is off by over 2,500 kilometers, since it is to be found in a place where Islam arrived with Arab traders, during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad himself.

Cheraman Juma Masjid sits along a calm semi-rural road, with no indication of its great antiquity. At first glance, you may find it unusual, since it does not resemble the typical idea of a mosque, with domes and minarets. Rather, it looks no more than a tharavad (a traditional house that can be found throughout Kerala), with its tiled roof and ornate wooden doors. But once you go inside, you find a qibla pointing towards Mecca, and prayer mats, like many other mosques, although another unusual feature is the hanging lamps, which are part of traditional Kerala house and temple architecture. One of the lamps is said to have burnt for 1,000 years without going out, fueled by oil brought by worshippers.

The place is named after Cheraman Perumal, a king of the Chera dynasty which once held sway over coastal Kerala. The popular oral tradition goes that the king witnessed the splitting of the moon, which is an event described in the Qur'an. His court astrologers had no idea what it meant, and the king began to obsess over what may have caused it. When some Arab traders came to his court, it was eventually revealed that it was caused by the prophet Muhammad, who was propagating the new religion of Islam. Hearing this, the king left for Mecca to meet the prophet, accepted Islam while there, but died on the journey back. However, he sent Malik ibn Dinar, a Persian convert, to his kingdom with a letter telling the new king to build a mosque, which was the original version of this building.

Over its long history, it saw several renovations and reconstructions, the most notable one being in 1504, after the Portuguese admiral Lopo Soares de Albergaria razed it to the ground. In 1984, some extensions were added which made the building look like a modern mosque, although renovation work that started in 2020 has seen them removed as the structure has been restored to its original state.

The mosque is open to all, and you'll very likely find friendly locals who would be glad to tell you the story behind the place and guide you. It is still a functioning place of worship, and as such is often buzzing with activity.

Related Tags

History & Culture Islam Religion Mosques

Know Before You Go

Kodungallur, where the mosque is located, is a 45-kilometer drive from Kochi, the largest city in Kerala, where there is an international airport. It is also 40 kilometers from Thrissur, another major city. It is easily accessible as a day trip from Kochi or Thrissur, and can be reached by renting a car, taking a KSRTC bus or taking a taxi.

The surrounding area is part of the Muziris Heritage Project and has several historic sites to visit.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Vishnu Menon

Published

July 12, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.muzirisheritage.org/
Cheraman Juma Masjid
Kodungallur - Shornur Rd
Arakulam
Kodungallur, 680664
India
10.212914, 76.202465
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kuda-kallu of Aryyannur

Thrissur, India

miles away

Bull Surfing in Kerala

Palakkad, India

miles away

Village of Twins

Nannambra, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 338
Stories 107

Nearby Places

Kuda-kallu of Aryyannur

Thrissur, India

miles away

Bull Surfing in Kerala

Palakkad, India

miles away

Village of Twins

Nannambra, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of India

India

Asia

Places 338
Stories 107

Related Places

  • Lahore, Pakistan

    Shab Bhar Masjid

    This mosque was built overnight as an act of defiance against the British colonial authorities.

  • The Green Mosque in Kruszyniany

    Kruszyniany, Poland

    Green Mosque of Kruszyniany

    This wooden mosque is one of the few remnants of medieval Poland's Muslim Tatar community in this deeply Catholic country.

  • Katra Masjid interior

    Murshidabad, India

    Katra Masjid

    This 18th-century complex has served as a mosque, mausoleum, and one of the largest caravanserais in India.

  • Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Mopti, Mali

    Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Every year, people come together to cover this mud-brick mosque with a fresh layer of earth.

  • Inside the underground mosque of Shakpak-Ata.

    Ashchimuryn, Kazakhstan

    Shakpak-Ata

    A remote, centuries-old underground mosque with a lunar aesthetic.

  • Bibi-Khanym Mosque

    Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    Bibi-Khanym Mosque

    Controversially restored in the 1970s, this giant 15th-century mosque is shrouded in legend.

  • Klis, Croatia

    Crkva Sv. Vida (Church of St. Vitus)

    One of the very few mosques built by the Ottomans still standing in Croatia is now a Catholic church.

  • Grande Mosquée de Bangui

    Bangui, Central African Republic

    Grande Mosquée de Bangui

    This mosque is an enduring symbol of Central African Republic's rich Muslim heritage.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.