Mosque City of Bagerhat

Division

The Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat, formerly Khalifatabad, located in the district of Khulna Division of Bagerhat in Bangladesh at Bhairab. It was founded in the early 15th century by the Turkish General Khan Jahan Ali under the last Sultan of the ruling in Delhi Tughluq dynasty, Nasir -ud- din Mahmud Shah (r. 1442-1459 ). Since 1985 because of their many Islamic monuments of the 15th and 16th centuries it is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Attractions

• About seven kilometers west of the city stands, built on a transversely rectangular in plan and of burnt brick, sixty dome Mosque ' ( Shaith - Gumbad Masjid ). It was at the beginning of the 15th century by order of the thus far been initiated military leader Khan Jahan Ali, the - until his death ( 1459 ) - regional and de facto independent rulers of Khalifatabad in the style of the mosques of the Tughluq Dynasty ( cf. Khirki Mosque ( Delhi ) ) built. Marked with economical terracotta applications outside walls and the pillars in the interior carry a 77 domes dominated and slightly curved in the middle of all four sides of the roof in the Bengali style. Four other domes complete the corner towers, of which the front two as stair towers are formed. Three sides of the mosque are open portals; only the west ( = Mecca ) oriented qibla wall is closed, as usual. A narrow access right of the mihrab was probably only the ruler, in this case, Khan Jahan Ali, reserved. The mosque founder is revered by many Muslims as ' Holy ' and its standing near Bagerhat mausoleum is an important pilgrimage site.
• Another historically significant mosque in Bagerhat is the considerably smaller, and built on a square plan, nine- dome mosque ' ( Noi Gombuz Masjid ), which according to tradition, built in the 16th century by a general of the army of the first Mughal emperor Babur been. Here you will find already a somewhat more pronounced curvature of the roof and geometric decorative motifs in the facade design.
• Still a historic mosque ( Masjid Singar ) is located in the immediate vicinity (photos → weblink).