SHAIT GOMBUJ MOSQUE

Shait gambuj Mosque is the largest of the Sultanate mosques in Bangladesh and one of the most impressive Muslim monuments in the whole of the Indian subcontinent. It is ascribed to one Khan al-Azam Ulugh Khan Jahan, who conquered the greater part of southern Bengal and named the area khalifatabad in honour of the reigning Sultan nasiruddin mahmud shah (1435-59). khan jahan ruled the region with the seat of administration at Haveli-Khalifatabad, identified with present Bagerhat, till his death in 1459. Such a magnificent building turned into miserably decaying condition with the passage of time. It is however fortunate that the British government initiated measures for its restoration and repair and the process continued under the direct supervision of the successive Departments of Archaeology of Pakistan and Bangladesh. In the early 1980s an effective long-term programme was undertaken to safeguard this historical monument at the instance of UNESCO, and the work is nearing completion. The Shait Gambuj mosque is the most magnificent as well as the largest enclosed type mosque in Bengal. Although the date of its erection is not known, it is considered to be the Great Congregational Mosque. The name ‘Shait Gombuj’ or ‘sixty domes’ is misleading: it has as many as 81 domes: 70 circular domes upon the prayer hall, 7 chauchala domes upon the central aisle and four domes upon the corner towers. The exterior of the mosque is without plaster and having less ornamentation. All the entrances are recessed with rectangular frame and have raised brick moldings with a geometrical terracotta motif.  The eleven frontal doorways have decorated terracotta rosettes in the spandrel, the central opening has two more rosettes on the either side of the spandrel.