শাহ মাহমুদ মসজিদ

Kartalab Khan Mashjid or Mosque of Kartalab Khan (কর্তালাব খান মসজিদ) is located at the Begum Bazar of Old Dhaka. It was built by the Dewan Murshid Quli Khan, also known as Kartalab Khan during 1701-1704, and the mosque named after him. For its location, people used to call this as Begum Bazar Mosque. Hardly very few people know this mosque as Kartalab Khan's Mosque now a days. The Google Map coordinate of the mosque is (23°43'2.03"N, 90°23'54.59"E), near to the Dhaka Central Jail.

Like any other mosques of that period, this one was built over a plinth like high vault. This mosque has five domes at the top of it, and an extended do-chala (দো চালা) like room at northern side. Though it was built around 300 years back, but now a days none of its antiquities are available.

Old Dhaka is already a congested area and there is hardly any space around the mosque for you to observe. Busy trading is going on around the mosque area. In fact it will be hard for you to stand beside the road and watch the top of the mosque.

There are buildings around the mosque those are using as market. So you can easily use any of those. This mosque could have been used as a token of our glorious past if it were handled with great care.

Muslim saint HajrotMaulanaKeramot Ali Jaunapuri (Rh) was the 35 generation of Hajrot Abu Bakkar (Ra) 1st Khalifah (ruler) of Islam. MaulanaJaunapuri (Rh) born in 1225 Hijri at Mulatol colony in Jaunapuri of MadhoProdesh, India. At his mature age they came to Rangpur for spread Islam. For his wisdom, persona and simple life planning lots of people took Islam as their religion. After his death in 30 may in 1873 beside his tomb the karamotia Mosque was built. Rectangular sized this domes mosque Constructed according to the Mughal architecture and local beautiful craft. Its internal size is 42'-0"*13'-0". The Width of the east-west wall of the Mosque is 3'-3" north-south wall is 2'-10". The high of the masjid is 18'-0" from the ground. The domes was built over octagonal drum size platform. In the lower part of the domes there is Marlon designs.

The Chandamari mosque in Kurigram is an ancient Mughal mosque that has been around for centuries. However, the mosque is falling inexorably into ruin due to acid rain and lack of proper maintenance. The mosque is situated in the village of Chandamari in Chakirpasha union under the Rajarhat Upazila in the district of Kurigram. No one knows the exact year the mosque was built or who built it. The locals consider it the oldest mosque in the area, at approximately five hundred years old. The architecture of the mosque is very similar to that of other buildings dating back to the Mughal times. It should be mentioned that there is no department of archaeology in the district. Should archaeologists visit the mosque and perform carbon dating experiments, its year of foundation may be pinpointed.

During a visit to the site, local man Abdul Zalil Sarker and President of the Mosque Committee Jakir Hossen Chowdhury told Star Insight that perhaps future generations will know the exact age of the mosque. "It was built in the 16th or 17th century. It bears some similarities to the structure of the Atia mosque (1609 AD) in Tangail," a local historian said. Local sources say that though there are 52 decimals of land in the mosque's name, whilst it is established on only five decimals. The height of the mosque is 45”. There are three large, four medium and twenty-four small domes on top, the four corners and around the mosque respectively. Nine of smaller domes have been damaged.

This mosque, however, is not one of a kind. Hundreds of old buildings with ample antique value and rich heritage are crumbling due to lack of care while others are even being deconstructed. The issue seems to be ignored completely by authorities despite plenty of public interest and protest.

The mosque was made with flat tally bricks, which were cemented together with a kind of paste called Bhishkas. The thickness of walls, roof and domes are 4”. From a long period of continued carelessness, a crack had formed in the center of the 3 large domes. Being unfit, the middle dome was reduced by ½ feet and repaired by the mosque committee, who also built a tin-shed porch in front of the mosque.

Atkandi Nilkuthi Mosque (আটকান্দি নীলকুঠি মসজিদ ) is situated in the Atkandi village of Raypura upazila, Narsingdi. It was built by a man named ‘Alim Uddin’. Alim Uddin built this Mosque just beside the grave yard of his wife ‘Sadetunnesa’. To build this Mughal stylistic Mosque he brought some masons from far land Mohishur, India. Some even compare it with Tajmahal, given its architectural style and the emotions behind it.

Alim Uddin completed his education on Islamic religion from Deobond and later worked as Teacher in a madrasa, conducted by Khawaza Family in Dhaka. Later in 18th century, he built this Mosque, however the exact date of founding this Mosque could not be determined.

It is a rectangular shaped Mosque. Which can be divided into three specific spatial context. We can exemplify it as below- 1. Inner zone 2. Exterior Corridor zone 3. Exterior Porch zone (under open sky)

Inner Zone of this Mosque contains three domes, and a Mihrab. Among these, three bulbous domes, among which the middle one is the biggest. The inner zone contains two entrances.

Exterior corridor zone of this mosque is elongated in north-south forming a rectangular shape. It contains five bulbous domes, which is smaller than other three. This zone also contains five entrances which are arch shaped and decorated with multi foiled design. In parapet it’s decorated with the Merlon design. In the base line of outer wall it’s decorated with a pitcher design.

Exterior porch zone of this mosque was built considering the large gathering which take place. It’s a square shaped plastered floor, with one feet high bordered wall all around the porch. It contains a main gateway to enter into the Mosque.

Public gathering in different occasion:

In different kind of public occasions, like in the eve of Eid-festivals and in common vacations people from different parts of the country come here to visit this place. On the southern part of this Mosque there is an old Ghat (in the edge of a river) which has stepped down to the branch of Meghna river. So far we know, it was built by G.P. Wize when this region was a place to plant indigo in a massive scale.

Present Condition and ruins of several unrevealed structure:

Present condition of this Mosque is not so consistent in a sense of building strength. It is in very sensitive condition, where it is randomly being used without any treatment of conservation & preservation. That’s why we can observe some deterioration in the brick building both in Exterior & interior part.

In the northern part of the Mosque there are some ruins of buried structure. Some outer portion of that buried structure is seem like spherical shape. Which demands more exploration and systematic archaeological excavation to reveal the history behind this region.