Khan Mohammad Mirza Mosque | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Year consecrated | 1704–05 AD |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
Geographic coordinates | 23°43′14″N90°23′07″E / 23.7206°N 90.3853°E |
The Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque is a historical mosque near Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The mosque was built in Atish Khan Mahalla by Khan Mohammad Mridha under the instruction of Qadi Ibadullah in 1706 CE. The mosque rises above its surroundings because the tahkhana or underground rooms of the mosque are above grade. The roof of the tahkhana forms the platform on which the mosque is situated. The spacious prayer place before the main mosque is open in all directions allowing air to flow and keep the Musullis cool. [1]
A madrasa was also built north-west of the mosque building. Its founding teacher, Mawlana Asadullah (d. 1709), taught fiqh, philosophy and logic in the Arabic and Persian languages to the pupils, and was funded by the Nawabs of Bengal. [2]
The main mosque, where the Imam and a few Musullis are accommodated, consists of three domes and bears testimony of the architecture practiced during the sixteenth century. Two Persian inscriptions, one over the central archway and the other over the central Mihrab. According to an inscription found, the mosque was built during the rule of Deputy Governor of Dhaka, Farrukhsiyar, by a Khan Muhammad Mirza, who could have been the architect. The construction was ordered by a Qazi Ibadullah during 1704–05 AD. [3]
The platform is 16'-6" above the ground level. The tahkhana comprises vaulted rooms for living purposes. The mosque is accessed from the east, up a flight of twenty-five steps. Area wise, the mosque occupies only a small portion of the platform.
The prayer hall is a rectangular structure measuring 48' x 24' and is capped by three domes, the central being the larger one. The smaller sizes of the side domes are achieved by using intermediary pendentives. The corners minarets are short and slender, rising just above the parapet and are capped by ribbed copulas. The annex to the north of the mosque serves as a madrasa or religious school and has a hujra or arcaded hall that is used for travelers and visitors. The facade of the mosque is decorated with paneling and ornamental merlons along the parapet. The entrances to the prayer hall are framed by multi-cusped arches and engaged columns on either side. [4]
The interior is divided into three bays by two lateral arches. Each bay contains a mihrab that is marked by multi-cusped arch within a rectangular panel.
Various kinds of seasonal flowers are cultivated in the garden in the eastern portion making the compound a sight for sore eyes. A gardener appointed by Department of Archaeology is in charge of the upkeep of the garden. A well in the northern portion of the garden, once used for supplying water for ablution (wudu in arabic), a way of becoming fresh before prayer is now abandoned. In the southern side of the garden stands a tall, old palm tree bearing the symbol of ancient for the place. [5]
This ancient structure can be beheld at 150 meters west on the road that goes beside Lalbag fort. The mosque, other than being an architectural site of Dhaka city, is also used as a mosque. Mutawalli of the mosque says, "Though the mosque is owned by the government as an archeological site and is being supervised by the Department of Archeology under Ministry of Cultural affairs there is lack of sincerity and transparency in the government intervention."
In 1913, the Archaeological Survey of India listed Mirza's Masjid as a historic monument; by then it had undergone alterations and appropriations that had to be demolished to restore it to its original form. The earliest photograph available on the mosque shows a ruined structure at the turn of the nineteenth century just before this early restoration attempt. Thereafter both the DOA and mosque committee have undertaken periodic repairs, some of which ignored the architectural and historic importance of the building. To compensate for the damaged drains and stop further deterioration, the authority provided new outlets to drain rainwater out from the upper terrace (sahn); and improved water and sanitation services. The site experienced many encroachments that constricted the boundaries of the compound, which drew serious attention of the architects and other conservation enthusiasts when it was included as a case study in an architectural conservation workshop in 1989 in Dhaka, sponsored by the AKTC and UNDP. [6]
Conservation of invaluable heritage sites in the 400-year-old city of Dhaka has always been ignored, leading to destruction of the sites. Destruction of heritage sites and historical monuments started during Pakistan period on a moderate scale but it gained momentum after independence. Heritage properties suffered destruction in an appalling extent during military rule. According to conservationist architects, friezes and other ornamental features of the old buildings are replaced with dissimilar and odd-looking features. Details of the ornamental works, their sizes and proportions are lost in the intervention. Though the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), the Metropolitan Building Rules of 2006 (revised in 2008) and the Antiquities Act of 1968 require the government to take measures and institute a standing committee to protect the heritage sites, the government has all along been idle on the issue. [7]
Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, also spelled as Baytul Mukarrom, is located at the center of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The mosque was completed in 1968. It has a capacity of more than 42,000 worshipers.
The Mosque City of Bagerhat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat District, Bangladesh. It contains 360 mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, roads, water tanks and other public buildings constructed from baked brick. The mosques were built during the Bengal Sultanate in the 15th century, of which the Sixty Dome Mosque is the largest. Other mosques include the Singar Mosque, the Nine Dome Mosque, the Tomb of Khan Jahan, the Bibi Begni Mosque and the Ronvijoypur Mosque. The mosques were built during the governorship of Ulugh Khan Jahan, a Turkic military officer appointed as governor in the Sundarbans by Sultan Mahmud Shah of Bengal.
The Sixty Dome Mosque, is a mosque in Bagerhat, Bangladesh. It is a part of the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest mosque in Bangladesh from the sultanate period (1352–1576). It was built during the Bengal Sultanate by Khan Jahan Ali, the governor of the Sundarbans. It has been described as "one of the most impressive Muslim monuments in the whole of South Asia."
Star Mosque, is a mosque located in Armanitola area, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The mosque has ornate designs and is decorated with motifs of blue stars. It was built in the first half of the 19th century by Mirza Golam Pir.
The Architecture of Bengal, which comprises the modern country of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley, has a long and rich history, blending indigenous elements from the Indian subcontinent, with influences from different parts of the world. Bengali architecture includes ancient urban architecture, religious architecture, rural vernacular architecture, colonial townhouses and country houses and modern urban styles. The bungalow style is a notable architectural export of Bengal. The corner towers of Bengali religious buildings were replicated in medieval Southeast Asia. Bengali curved roofs, suitable for the very heavy rains, were adopted into a distinct local style of Indo-Islamic architecture, and used decoratively elsewhere in north India in Mughal architecture.
Katra or Katara is the name given to caravanserai inns in Bengal. The Bara Katra and Chhota Katra refers to two magnificent Mughal katras in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Choto Katra is one of two Katras built during Mughal's regime in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was constructed in 1663 by Subahdar Shaista Khan. It is on Hakim Habibur Rahman lane on the bank of the Buriganga River. It was built to accommodate officials and Shaista Khan's expanding family. Chhota Katra is slightly smaller than Bara Katra, but similar in plan and about 185 metres east of it.
Architecture of Bangladesh is intertwined with the architecture of the Bengal region and the broader Indian subcontinent. The architecture of Bangladesh has a long history and is rooted in Bangladesh's culture, religion and history. It has evolved over centuries and assimilated influences from social, religious and exotic communities. The architecture of Bangladesh bears a remarkable impact on the lifestyle, tradition and cultural life of Bangladeshi people. Bangladesh has many architectural relics and monuments dating back thousands of years.
Choto Shona Mosque is located in Chapai Nawabganj district of Bangladesh. The mosque is situated about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the Kotwali Gate and 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the south-east of the Mughal Tahakhana complex in the Firozpur Quarter.
Shahbaz Khan Mosque is a historic mosque located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Located near Mir Jumla’s Gate, this mosque serves as an example of late Mughal architecture in Bengal, known as the Shaista Khan architectural style.
The Sat Gambuj Mosque is near the northwestern outskirts of Dhaka in the Mohammadpur area. It is a fine example of the provincial Mughal style of architecture introduced in Bangladesh in the 17th century. The mosque's most notable features are its seven bulbous domes crowning the roof and covering the main prayer hall. The monument stands in a romantic setting on a buttressed 15-foot-high bank overlooking an extensive flood plain. The mosque dates to the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and may have been built by the Mughal governor Shaista Khan.
The Dhanmondi Shahi Eidgah, also known as Mughal Eidgah, is located in Saat Masjid road, in Dhanmondi residential area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Eidgah was built in 1640 CE during the Mughal era and has been in use for Eid celebration since then.
The Singar Mosque is a 15th-century mosque that forms a part of the Mosque City of Bagerhat, a designated World Heritage Site in the southwestern region of Bangladesh. This mosque is characterized by its single-domed, square structure constructed with exposed brick and adorned with terracotta decorations.
Baba Adam's Mosque is a mosque situated in the village of Qadi Qasbah under Rampal Union of Bangladesh's Munshiganj District. It was constructed in 1483 A.D by Malik Kafur to function as a Jami mosque during the reign of Jalaluddin Fateh Shah. The tomb of Baba Adam Shahid, a 15th-century Muslim preacher, lies near the edifice.
The Bibi Maryam Mosque, also known as the Hajiganj Mosque, is in Hajiganj, Narayanganj. The mosque is said to have been constructed by NawabShaista Khan, Mughal subadar of Bengal. The construction of the mosque began in 1664 and finished in 1688. It took 24 years to complete. Bibi Maryam, apparently his daughter, is said to be buried nearby in a tomb. The mosque is a three-domed type, the central dome being more comprehensive than the side ones. The side domes are reduced by thickening the side walls instead of adding an intermediate half-dome, as seen in some Mughal mosques. The basal leaf decoration of the domes and the battlemented merlons speak of the standard style. The panel leaf decoration on the top of the roof is seen only on the front side. The eastern facade of the mosque has the usual three arched entrances, each opening under a half dome and the central one being more expansive than the side entrances. Two windows, one each on the south and north sides are of later innovation. The four engaged corner towers, almost merged within the wall, are extended beyond the parapet. The interior hall shows simple lateral arches. The side bays are made square by thickening the side walls. The mosque has been repaired and renovated several times. It has significantly lost much of its original features through repairs since the corner towers are being wholly modernised. A veranda on masonry pillars on the eastern side has completely overshadowed the front view. It is now being used as a Jami mosque.
The Goaldi Mosque is a mosque in the historic Bengali capital of Sonargaon. It was built during the Bengal Sultanate under the reign of Sultan Alauddin Hussain Shah. It is one of the few surviving medieval monuments in Sonargaon Upazila, Bangladesh.
Baro Shona Masjid also known as Baroduari Masjid, is located in Gour, West Bengal, India. Completed in 1526, it is situated half a kilometer to the south of Ramkeli, 12 km south from the city of Malda. The mosque with its ruins can be found very close to the India-Bangladesh border. With a gigantic rectangular structure of brick and stone, this mosque is the largest monument in Gour. Though the name means Twelve Doors, this monument actually has eleven.
The Kartalab Khan Mosque or Begum Bazar Mosque, in the Begum Bazar area in old Dhaka, Bangladesh, was built by Nawab Diwan Murshid Quli Khan between 1700 and 1704. The mosque consists of a high valuated platform, a mosque with a 'dochala' annex on the north upon the western half of the platform and a 'baoli' to the east of the platform. It is roofed by five domes resting on octagonal drums. The mosque was extensively renovated by Mirza Golam Pir in the nineteenth century. In accordance with Murshid Quli Khan's wishes, he was buried under the entrance to this mosque.
Atia Mosque is a four-domed mosque located in Bangladesh's Tangail District. It was built in the 17th century during the Mughal period and lies on the eastern banks of the Louhajang River. The country's Department of Archaeology has designated it as a protected monument.
The historical shrine of Dayera Sharif Khanqah, commonly known as Bara Dayera Sharif, is situated in the Azimpur locality of Dhaka. The Persian word Dayera means "circle" or "work area". As a rule, the heirs of the Dayera Sharif never go outside the area, except for pilgrimage. The Azimpur Dayera Sharif was established by Shah Sufi Sayed Muhammad Dayem who came at Dhaka in 1766-68 AD. It is currently under the supervision of his seventh generation. Shah Sufi Syed Shah Ahmedullah Jubayer has been the overall supervisor of Dayera Sharif since 1998. The successor of the Sufi dynasty is known as Gaddi Nashin, who sits on the Gaddi to serve people.