BAGERHAT GROUP OF MONUMENTS

GED 100 (Bangladesh Studies) Group: D

Sajidul Haque Chowdhury Fahmeda Ahmed Nusrat Jahan Keya Md. Saiful Islam Md. Fahman Rayan Md. Sajib Ahmed Zerin Tasnim Sikdar MD. Haider Hossain

ID:122014001 ID: 122014003 ID: 122014005 ID: 122013010 ID: 122013030 ID: 122011126 ID: 122011135 ID: 122011129

BAGERHAT
Bagerhat is situated at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. This ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The citys infrastructure reveals considerable technical skill. An exceptional number of mosques and early Islamic monuments, many built of brick, can be seen there.

Group of Monuments
The Shait-Gumbad Mosque. Ranvijoypur Mosque. Bibi Begni's Mosque. Chunakhola Mosque. Singar Mosque. Nine-domed Mosque. Zinda-Pir Mosque. Six-domed Mosque. Khan Jahans Mausoleum.

The Shait-Gumbad Mosque

The Shait-Gumbad Mosque is located on the eastern bank of a sweet water tank the Thakurdighi). It was established in 1440 by Khan Jahan. It is laid over an area of 160 feet (49 m) x 108 feet (33 m) size. The mosque has 60 pillars that support 77 exquisitely curved "low squat domes. It has seven central domes that are four-sided and built in Bengali style and 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 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 also 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays in the midst of slim columns made of stone. The west wall in the interior has eleven mihrabs that are decorated with stonework and terracotta and the flooring is of brickwork. Ali. The arches are 6 feet thick with a slight taper over the hollow and round walls. The mosque is decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks.

View of The Shait-Gumbad Mosque

Interior of The Mosque

Terracotta & Brick in Outside Wall

Nine-Domed Mosque
The Nine-Domed Mosque is located to the west of the Thakurdighi tank. It was built in the 15th century. It is close to Khan Jahan Ali's Tomb. Its western wall conventionally faces west towards Mecca, where the mihrab is inset on the western wall. Terra cotta 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.

View of The Nine-Domed Mosque

Singar Mosque
The Singar Mosque is across the road from the Saith Gumbad Mosque on its southeastern side. It has a single dome which is heavily built and a wide dome. The dome is supported on thick walls and topped with a cambered cornice. The Bibi Begni Mosque and the ChunaKhola Mosque are also of single dome type but much larger in size compared to the Singar Mosque.

View of The Singar Mosque

Ranvijoypur Mosque
The Ranvijoypur Mosque has the largest dome in Bangladesh. It is of 11 metres (36 ft) width supported by arches and pendentives. The corners have tapering circular turrets while the external cornice has a slight curve. The mosque's interior is plain. The main mihrabs have decorations of floral patterns. It is located on the opposite side of the Khan Jahan Mausoleum, on the Khulna Bagerhat road. It is built according to Khan Jahan style of architecture.

View of The Ranvijoypur Mosque

The Chunakhola Mosque

The Chunakhola Mosque is located in the midst of rice fields in the village of ChunaKhola. It is a 7.7 metres (25 ft) square building with 2.24metres (7 ft 4 in) thick walls. 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. It has four turrets with curved cornices.

View of The Chunakhola Mosque

Khan Jahan's Mausoleum

The Khan Jahan Mausoleum is located on the northern bank of a water tank called Thakurdighi. It has a single domes structure built over a plan of 45 feet (14 m) square. The building was made of brick walls over five layers of dressed stone which forms the basement. The flooring had been inlaid with hexagonal encaustic tiles of different designs and colours (mostly blue, white and yellow). The tomb has black stones have been used in making the tomb and it is made of three steps. Verses from the Quran are inscribed in Arabic and Persian. There are inscriptions on the walls of the crypt which are inferred as providing historical information about Ulugh Khan Jahan's life. After retirement, Khan Jehan spent his retired life here and after his death on 25 October 1459, his tomb was preserved here. The Pir Ali Tomb (of Pir Ali, a close associate of Khan Jahan) is an annex building to this mausoleum and is of identical layout. A mosque called the Dargha Mosque is attached to the mausoleum.

View of The Khan Jahan's Mausoleum

Six-Domed Mosque
The Six-Domed Mosque (also called the Rezakodha Masjid) was built in the 15th century. It is near Thakurdighi pond. It has six domes supported by stone columns. Protecting under the Antiquities Act, the main mihrab displays a chain and bell design.

View of The Six-Domed Mosque

Bagerhat Museum
A small museum has been established by the Directorate of Archaeology of Bangladesh, in collaboration with UNESCO, in front of the Shat Gambuj Mosque. Antiquaries collected from the area of the historical site are displayed providing knowledge on the history of Bagerhat. It has three exhibit galleries of antiquaries related to the "Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat. It includes inscriptions, potteries, terracotta plaques and ornamental bricks. Pictures of important historic buildings of Bangladesh are also part of the exhibits here.

View of The Bagerhat Museum

Finally
Bagerhat was declared the World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Not only the Shait-Gumbad Mosque but also the entire Bagerhat was included in the site. Many tourists from other countries and visitors from all over our country come to visit this World Heritage Site every year. It is fact that, all these monuments are threatened, owing to the extreme salinity of the soil and the atmosphere, made especially vulnerable because brick architecture predominates.

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