The Mosque City of Bagerhat (; historically known as Khalifatabad) 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 most prominent being the Sixty Dome Mosque, which features 60 pillars and 77 domes. The mosques feature terracotta artwork and arabesque.

Geography

The mosque city is situated in southern Bengal near the vast estuary of the Bengal delta. It is located from the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is spread over an area of , The Bengal Sultanate attracted many immigrants from the Middle East and Central Asia, who brought with them ideas of Islamic architecture. Sufism was employed by Muslim missionaries to attract the local population. The high concentration of mosques suggests the rapidity with which the local population converted to Islam.

According to coin inscriptions of the sultanate taka, it was built in the 15th century and was known by the name of Khalifatabad during the 16th century.

Ulugh Khan Jahan administered an area covering parts of present-day Khulna Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh. In 1983, UNESCO drew up a master plan for the Bagerhat area and it became a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Architecture

thumb|left|Corner tower, Nine Dome Mosque

The remaining buildings of the city are largely mosques and bridges etc, which later locals did not like to take apart for their materials. Only few of the original houses remain today. The larger buildings use a version of the Bengal Sultanate style of Indo-Islamic architecture, with elements of various styles, including Bengali, Persian and Arab. The city covered 360 mosques The mosque has an oblong plan of 148'6" x 101'4" externally and 123'3" x 76'2" internally.

It was used for prayers, as an assembly hall and madrasa. Seventy seven domes are over the roof and four smaller ones at the four corners are towers (the towers were used to call the faithfuls to attend prayers). The large prayer hall has 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and south which provide ventilation and light to the hall. There are 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays in the midst of slim columns made of stone. These columns support the curving arches that are overlaid by the domes.

Nine Dome Mosque

thumb|[[Mihrab of the Nine Dome Mosque]]

The Nine Dome Mosque is located to the west of the takur dighi tank and built in the 15th century. It is located near Khan Jahan Ali's tomb. Its western wall conventionally faces west towards Mecca, where the mihrab is inset; terracotta floral scrolls and flower motifs are the decorations seen around the mihrab. Circular towers are provided in the four corners. The walls of the mosque support a large central dome which has eight smaller domes around it. This structure was also affected by sulphates. It has been since substantially restored. Close to this mosque are the Zinda Pir Mosque and mazar (tomb), which are in ruins. It has three entrances on the east and one each on the northern and southern sides also. It has three mihrabs with the central mihrab being the largest in size and projecting outwards. It has a hemispherical dome with frontal arches. There are also squinches and half domes. It is distinctly different from the Khan Jahan style mosque in its exterior decorations, particularly the east façade, which depicts four rectangular panels bordered by foliated scrolls with merlons having plant motifs. It has four turrets with curved cornices. The brick walls, in particular, were damaged due to sulphate effect. It was renovated in the 1980s according to guidelines set by UNESCO. It is now a pilgrimage site where people pay homage to the man who dedicated his lifetime to building the city and its monuments. The Pir Ali Tomb (of Pir Ali, a close associate of Khan Jahan) is an annexe building to this mausoleum and is of identical layout. A mosque called the Dargha Mosque is attached to the mausoleum.

See also

  • Architecture of Bangladesh

References

  • Mosques and Tombs at Bagerhat (archived 1 December 2016)
  • Top Historical Mosques in Bangladesh at Travel Mate
  • Explore the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat at the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture