A Skyline Out of Sync

Srinagar has placed a corrugated metal roof on a 600-year-old mosque, and many locals feel hurt and angry.

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They say it looks like a garden shed sitting on top of a heritage prayer hall, and that reaction comes from a deep bond with the place.‘Aali Masjid stands on the Eidgah ground, where people gather every Ramzan for prayers and reflection. Generations of families have stood there shoulder to shoulder, returning year after year to the same space. They come for faith and for a sense of continuity. The mosque connects them to their elders through its wooden beams and old stone walls, That connection now feels disturbed.

The new green roof stands out sharply against the old skyline. It does not sit well with the traditions of Kashmiri sacred architecture. These mosques once relied on fine woodwork, balanced proportions, and materials chosen with care. The present roof ignores that history and gives the impression of a rushed and low-cost fix.