The Shaista Khan Mosque () is a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

situated by the Buriganga River at Mitford Area in

old Dhaka Old Dhaka () is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar (), the capital of Bengal Subah, Mughal Province of Bengal and named after the Mughal em ...

, in the

Dhaka District Dhaka District () is a Districts of Bangladesh, district in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rests on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

. The historically significant architectural monument was built during the Mughal era, by the Mughal

Subahdar Subahdar, also known as Nazim, was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty, Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, and the Mughal era who was alternately designated as Sahib- ...

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

Shaista Khan Mirza Abu Talib (b. 22 November 1600 – d. 1694), better known as Shaista Khan, was a general and the Subahdar of Mughal Bengal. He was maternal uncle to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and acted as a key figure during his reign. Shaista Khan ini ...

History

Subahdar Shaista Khan built this small mosque at the bank of river Buriganga. Shaista Khan was the Mughal subahdar who ruled the

from 1664 to 1688. The exact date of the building of this mosque is not known, however it is assumed that it was built when Subahdar Shaista Khan first came to

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

in 1664; and built between 1663 and 1678, for the first viceroyalty of Khan. During the British period the mosque was seriously damaged by an accidental fire. Recently the mosque was repaired and lost its original look. An inscription in Persian fixed over the doorway still stands, declaring that Shaista Khan erected the mosque. Other details including the dates are unclear.

Architecture

The mosque is . The mosque has three

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

s and four

octagon In geometry, an octagon () is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, which alternates two types of edges. A truncated octagon, t is a ...

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s. The central dome is larger than the others. It has three doors in east side and one each on north and south sides. All the door are arched. The mosque is structurally strong and it is lost among the huge structure of Mitford Hospital. Though it is ill-treated by the local people it bears a significant sign of the age of Shaista Khan. The original look of the mosque has vanished. The ornamental works of surface is now plastered and painted green.

References

{{Mosques in Bangladesh 17th-century mosques in Bangladesh Mosque buildings with domes in Bangladesh Mosque buildings with minarets in Bangladesh Mosques completed in the 1670s Mosques in Dhaka Mughal mosques Old Dhaka Religious buildings and structures completed in 1678

History

Architecture

See also

References