The first building here, a simple wooden affair, was constructed by Indian Muslims living nearby in the 1800s. It was named after its founder, a South Indian lawyer's clerk named Shaik Abdul Gafoor Shaik Hyder. The present building was completed in 1910, exhibiting a fascinating blend of Arab and Victorian architecture. Take time to study the framed family tree near the prayer area which traces the common lineage of Christians and Muslims. The mosque was officially gazetted a national monument in 1979.