The Safa Shahouri Masjid, the biggest and most famous of the mosques in Ponda taluka was was built in 1560 by Ibrahim Adilshan of Bijapur. There are some historians who believe that it was not Ibrahim but rather Sultan Ali Adilshah I who built the Safa Masjid of Ponda in 1560 since the period of Sultan Ali Adilshah I was 1557-1580. From 1489-90 onwards, Goa was under the control of the Adilshahi rulers of the Bijapur Kingdom. Yusuf Adil Khan was the Turkish founder of this kingdom who ruled from 1489-1510. It was in 1510 that the Portuguese ‘governador' Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa (Tiswadi) from the successor of Yusuf Adil Shah, that is his son Ismail Adil Shah who ruled from 1510-1534. In the 16th century, the Portuguese conquered the Tiswadi, Bardez and the Salcete only from the Adilshahi rulers but Ponda and other parts of Goa continued to be under the Adilshahi dynasty. Ismail Adil Shah was succeeded by his son Ibrahim Adilshahi I, who ruled from 1534-1557. Built in 1560 by Ibrahim Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur, the Safa mosque survived the havoc wreaked by the Portuguese colonizers as part of the Inquisition process. During the reign of the Bijapur Sultan, the region witnessed a proliferation of mosques and Ponda alone was home to 27 of them including the Safa Masjid. It has withstood the ravages of time attracting a large number of Muslim devotees, historians, tourists both domestic and foreign, and has been noted as an important heritage monument of Goa and India. This mosque continues to be an important structure for the local muslim community and is a venue of celebration during festivals of Id-Ul-Fitr and Id-Ul-Zuha. The Safa Masjid of Ponda is a very pertinent representative of medieval Goa's history and culture. The minimalist Masjid is a fusion of Indo-Islamic style. Also known as the Shifa Shahourie Masjid, the Safa masjid presents an elegant spectacle with typical Islamic arches decorating the walls. Literally, the Arabic word ‘Safa' means clean, chaste and pure and the title befits this beautiful structure which is devoid of any mindless extravagance and grandeur. The mosque was located at the center of a sprawling garden complex and fountains, destroyed during the Portuguese rule. Only remnants of the garden can be witnessed today. The rectangular prayer hall of the mosque rests above a high base and is capped with a pointed terracotta tile roof. The massive water tank within the mosque premises is another attraction. Featuring small chambers decorated with 'meharab' designs, the tank is located to the south of the prayer hall unlike most mosques where it is located outside the main entrance.

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