Khwaja Shahbaz Mosque and Tomb

Korapur Mia Bari Mosque (কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদ) is an old mosque from the Barisal district (বরিশাল জেলা). The mosque is located at the Mia Bari (মিয়া বাড়ি) of that area. It is believed that the mosque was built during 18th century. They have painted the mosque recently, and also doing some sort of restoration now. And thus it lost its antiquity entirely.

This mosque is built over a high plinth. Or, may be its better to call it a high basement instead of a plinth. Inside the basement it has several rooms at ground floor. These days it is being used as a resident for the student of nearby Madrasa (মাদ্রাসা). There is a wide stair available to reach at the mosque that is at the second floor.

It is a rectangular shaped mosque having three small sized domes at the top where the middle one is slightly larger than the other twos. The mosque has total eight minarets with four at front and four at the back side walls. Apart from these, there are several small minarets available in between. All the minarets and the upper portion of the mosque is highly decorated. At the eastern side of the mosque it has a very large water pond.

বরিশাল সদরের উত্তর কড়াপুর গ্রামে এই মসজিদটি অবস্থিত। বরিশাল জেলায় অবস্থিত একটি প্রাচীন মসজিদ হলো কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদ। মনে করা হয়ে থাকে ১৮শ শতকে এই মসজিদটি নির্মাণ করা হয়। সাম্প্রতিককালে কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদটি রঙ করা হয়েছে এবং বর্তমানে এটির মেরামত কার্যক্রম অব্যাহত আছে। এ কারনে এই মসজিদটির প্রাচীন বৈশিষ্ট্যগুলো পুরোপুরি বিলীন হয়ে গিয়েছে।

উঁচু বেসম্যাণ্টের উপর এই কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদটি নির্মাণ করা হয়েছে। নীচতলায় বেসম্যাণ্টের অভ্যন্তরে কয়েকটি কক্ষ রয়েছে যেগুলো মসজিদের নিকটে অবস্থিত মাদ্রাসার ছাত্রদের থাকার কাজে ব্যবহার করা হচ্ছে। মসজিদে প্রবেশ করার জন্য দোতলায় একটি প্রশস্ত সিঁড়ি রয়েছে।

আয়াতক্ষেত্রাকার এই মসজিদটির উপরিভাগে তিনটি ছোট আকারের গম্বুজ রয়েছে যেগুলোর মধ্যে মাঝখানের গম্বুজটি অন্য দুটি গম্বুজের চেয়ে আকারে কিছুটা বড়। কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদের সামনের দেয়ালে চারটি মিনার এবং পেছনের দেয়ালে চারটি মিনার সমেত মোট আটটি মিনার রয়েছে। এছাড়া সামনের এবং পেছনের দেয়ালের মধ্যবর্তী স্থানে কয়েকটি ছোট মিনার রয়েছে। মসজিদের উপরিভাগ এবং সবগুলো মিনারে ব্যাপকভাবে কারুকাজ করা হয়েছে। কড়াপুর মিয়াবাড়ি মসজিদের পূর্বদিকে একটি বিশালাকারের পুকুর রয়েছে।

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.

Chowk Bazar Shahi Mosque also known as Chowk Mosque is one of the oldest Mosques in Dhaka. It is located in the Chowk Bazar area of the old town of Dhaka, south to the current city center.

The mosque was constructed in 1676 by Subahdar Shayesta Khan (সুবাহদার শায়েস্তা খান). It is called ‘Shahi Mosque’ as it is founded by Subahdar Shayesta Khan. The mosque is built above a raised platform. The three domed mosque above the platform, now transformed into a multi-storied structure was originally a copy of Shayesta Khan's another three domed mosque at the Mitford Hospital compound near the Buriganga River. Some square shaped rooms may be built for Imam and for students of the Madrashah. As a result of several renovation & reconstruction work, this mosque has lost its ancient original view.

History: This Mosque was constructed in 1676, as noted by an inscription in the Persian language over a gateway. The inscription attributes the project to Subahdar Shaista Khan. So far, this is known as the earliest dated mosque in the History of Muslim Architecture in Bengal, built on a high vaulted platform. Its architectural design was perhaps influenced by Tughlaq Architectures; such as Khirki Masjid or Kalan Mosque of Delhi. Influenced by this structure, some other mosques were built in Dhaka and Murshidabad.

Architectural Properties: The western half of the 3.05 meter high vaulted platform (28.65 meter from north to south and 24.38 meter from east to west) is occupied by the original three-domed mosque. It measures, inclusive of the four octagonal towers on the exterior angles, 16.15 meter by 7.92 meter. There are three four-centered archways in the east, all opening out under half-domed vaults. The half-domed vault of the central archway still contains beautiful Muqarnas works in stucco.

Corresponding to the three eastern entrances, there are three Mihrabs inside the west wall, all now redesigned. The central mihrab still has a semi-octagonal aperture, while its flanking counterparts are rectangular in design. The mihrabs are now all studded with lustrous pieces of enamel. The rectangular frames enclosing the mihrabs are now topped by rows of painted cresting. The floor of the mosque is now laid with marble.

Three bays divides interior view of this Mosque- the central one square shaped and the side ones are rectangular. All these bays were covered with domes, the central one being bigger than its flanking counterparts. This can be deduced from the newly built three-domed prayer chamber exactly above the original one, where the central dome has been kept larger than the side ones.

Very uniquely designed and Space utilized Madrasa & Mosque: The promenade around the three domed prayer chamber, since there was no separate structure for study purpose, might have been used for open-air classes and the vaulted room with book-shelves on their walls underneath the platform may have been designed to provide residential accommodation for those who used to teach and study here. In that perspective, Chawk Mosque may be regarded as the first known example of Residential Madrasa Mosque.

It is an ingenious way of accommodating two structures-a madrasa and a mosque in a single building which not only saved space but also a considerable amount of money.

Mirer Bagan Zam-E Mosque (মীরের বাগান জাম-ই মসজিদ) is one of the famous historical places of Gaibandha. It was built by renowned saint Shah Sultan Gazi. There is a saying that about 1000 years ago the mosque was built. There is also another saying that Shah Sultan Gazi had defeated Hindu Raja Kalidas and then built the Mosque for spreading Islam. Everyone feels amazing to see the inner beauty of the Mosque.

Three tombs (মাযার) are located near the Mosque. These are the tomb of Hazrat Shah Sultan Gazi,tomb of Mir Mosarraf Hossain and tomb of Ibn Shorfuddin (ইবনে শরফুদ্দিন). These three saint came here only for Spreading Islam in this region. In front of the Mosque there is a huge garden. One of the saints named Mir was the reason to call this mosque as 'Mirer Bagan Zam-e Mosque'. Now the Mosque is conducted by a waqf estate (ওয়াকফ স্টেট). Every year in the month of Boishakh, a fair is celebrated here in Mirer Bagan.