Bajra Shahi Mosque

Summary

Bajra Shahi Mosque (Bengali: বজরা শাহী মসজিদ, romanizedBojra Shahi Mosjid, Arabic: شاهي مسجد بجرا) is an 18th-century mosque located in the Bazra Union under Sonaimuri Upazila of Noakhali District, Bangladesh. It has been described as the "most notable historical monument" in the area around Maijdee.[1]

Bajra Shahi Mosque
বজরা শাহী মসজিদ
The gateway in the outer wall, decorated with mosaics.
Religion
AffiliationIslam
StatusActive
Location
LocationBazra, Sonaimuri, Noakhali District, Bangladesh
Bajra Shahi Mosque is located in Bangladesh
Bajra Shahi Mosque
Shown within Bangladesh
Geographic coordinates23°00′14″N 91°05′35″E / 23.0040°N 91.0931°E / 23.0040; 91.0931
Architecture
TypeMosque

Location edit

 
The eastern face of Bajra Shahi Mosque has three doorways, each opening under a half-domed vault and flanked by slender minarets.

The mosque is located in a rural setting 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Noakhali, at the village of Bazra. The site is enclosed by an outer wall with an ornate gateway on the east, the whole situated on high ground on the western side of a dighi (reservoir).[2][3]

History edit

The mosque was built by Aman Ullah in 1741-42 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Between 1911 and 1928, Bazra zamindars Khan Bahadur Ali Ahmad and Khan Bahadur Mujir Uddin Ahmad had it extensively repaired and decorated with mosaics made from colored shards of ceramic. It is in a fairly good state of preservation,[2] and is on the government Department of Archaeology's list of protected sites.[4][5]

Architecture edit

 
The interior is divided into three bays by multi-cusped arches.

The mosque is rectangular in plan. It has three domes, the middle one larger than those on either side, and octagonal towers at the four corners. The eastern facade has three doorways, the central one larger than the others, each projecting from the facade, opening under a half-domed vault, and flanked by slender minarets. The north and south sides each has a similar doorway.[2]

The interior is divided into three bays by two multi-cusped arches.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Newton, Alex; Wagenhauser, Betsy; Murray, Jon (1996). Bangladesh: A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-86442-296-5.
  2. ^ a b c d Bari, MA (2012). "Bajra Shahi Mosque". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  3. ^ মোগল নিদর্শন নোয়াখালীর বজরা শাহী মসজিদ [Mughal patterns Noakhali's Bajra Shahi Mosque]. The Daily Sangram (in Bengali). 1 December 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  4. ^ বজরা শাহী মসজিদ, নোয়াখালী [Bajra Shahi Mosque, Noakhali]. Department of Archaeology (Bangladesh) (in Bengali).
  5. ^ নোয়াখালীর ২৭৬ বছরের পুরনো বজরা শাহী মসজিদ [Noakhali's 276-year old Bajra Shahi Mosque]. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). 27 March 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.