Shat Gambuj Mosque
The Sat
Gambuj Mosque is near the northwestern outskirts of Dhaka in the Mohammadpur
area. It is a fine example of the provincial Mughal style of
architecture introduced in Bangladesh in the 17th century. The mosque's most notable features
are its seven bulbous domes crowning the roof
and covering the main prayer hall. Probably erected by Governor Shaista Khan, the monument stands in
a romantic setting on a buttressed 15-foot-high bank overlooking an
extensive flood plain
History
A few kilometers to the north of
Peelkhana, for long the end of Mughal Dhaka, was the Jafarbad or Katasur area,
originally part of mouza Sarai Begumpur. Many of the mouzas were delineated during the
reign of Shershah and later by Kartalab Khan. A small urban settlement on a
route along the river, this was an alternative to reach Brahmaputra or Garh Jaripa without having to go through the hostile areas
along the mainstream of Sitalakhya and Brahmaputra on the east. This is
evident from its geographic and strategic location, the origin of the names of the
locality, and the remnants around it.
The place where the seven-domed mosque is was known as Sarai Jafarbad or Katasur, under Sarai
Begumpur. There was a small agricultural community in between Pilkhana and Jafarbad
where the Sat Gambuj Mosque was built. The area became like a jungle due to
disuse, dereliction, and desertion mainly during the British period. However,
in the last 55 years, it has become one of the most planned and most expensive
residential enclaves of Dhaka. The Sat Masjid Road is the major peripheral road of the district to its west and
is believed to have been built roughly along where the old Bank river Turag was
Structure
Picturesquely situated on the edge of a
river, the Sat Gambuj Mosque's exterior is the most innovative of all the Dhaka
Mughal-period monuments. The north and south ends of this three-domed rectangular mosque
are each marked by two enormous double-storied corner pavilions; when viewed
from the east these give the impression that the mosque has five exterior bays.
On the east are three cusped entrances arches flanked by shallow niches.
Slender engaged columns with bulbous bases demarcate the central bay.
Its interior compares favorably with
that of others dating to the second half of the 17th century. The central mihrab has two rows of cusping, and its surface is embellished with
molded plaster relief, recalling the ornateness of the mihrab in the mosque of
Haji Khwaja Shahbaz.
It used forms of shapes—octagon, square,
rectangle, and circle—all beautifully juxtaposed. Besides the typical three
domes on the main prayer hall, there are four hollow double-story domed corner
towers that gave rise to its name (Seven-Domed Mosque). The corner turret provided structural stability and visual balance to the
38'×27' building on a riverbank and was probably used as viewing galleries for
enjoying the river. The upper level of the octagonal turrets starts from around
half the height of the main prayer hall. Both levels have arched panels and
windows, surmounted by a cornice and capped by domes with Kalash (pitcher) finials planted on a lotus base.
Otherwise, with a bigger dome in the
middle flanked by two smaller ones, the mosque bears all the characteristic
features of Shaista Khani style. However, though the qibla facades of most such buildings remain unadorned, that of the
Sat Gambuj Mosque is decorated with recessions within molded panels, the
middle portion delineated by two slender pilasters slightly protruding. These are much bigger than those usually
seen at the front. The three central panels have an arch-shape on the lower
part.
The mosque has three cusped entrance
arches, the middle one being taller and edged with multi-foil arch, a
late-Mughal refinement, flanked by shallow niches and rectangular panels and
echoed by mihrabs on the qibla wall, slender engaged pilasters with bulbous
base demarcating the central bay, mihrab surface embellished with molded
plaster relief, corner turret stretched above merlon parapet with pinnacles, single, openings on sidewalls, etc.
The side entrances have the mere decoration
applied to their external faces some of which may not be original. All these
elements emphasize the symmetrical and axial arrangement along with the central
dome and the mihrab. The style is very common among most of the surviving
historic mosques of Dhaka. Built on a spacious and solid podium, it has many
elements resembling those in Khwaja Shahbaz Mosque, Khan Muhammad Mirdha's Mosque, and the mosque inside the Lalbagh Fort.
The heights of the entrances and other
openings have been distorted or dwarfed by elevation of the plinth level as the
ground around was constantly elevated to remain above flood level. However, the
two slender pinnacles rising on both sides of the panel provide a kind of
vertically to this otherwise horizontal and stout structure. This element
achieved a level of perfection and hence elegance in the Mridha's Mosque built a quarter of a century later. There are eight small panels on each side of the
door, all of which are enclose arched niches. The transition from the square to
the circle of the dome base is made by pendentives. However, the domes are conventional, rest on octagonal drum
shoulder, embellished with blind merlons. The brick lime walls of the naturally
cool structures are 4 feet deep.
There is a graveyard in front of the mosque used as late as the 1950s. It was
originally inside a wider garden that was gradually eroded by the river and
encroached by buildings. A distinct gateway in front of the sahn that
was now subsided because of a gradual rise in the surrounding levels can be
climbed over for azan (prayer call). The river Turag on which the picturesque
structure was standing even a few decades back, has now moved nearly a kilometer
away from it due to silt, encroachment by filling up, and change of course.
The surrounding reclaimed lands for many
years were used by small scale manufacturers, semi-permanent houses and slums.
But now heavier and more intensive uses can be seen
Present Condition
Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah had the abandoned
structure re-embellished as it was later listed in 1913 by the ASI. Due to its
uninterrupted use and some care and maintenance since then, the mosque did not
require any renovation. However, in the past, the DOA made several unacceptable
modifications while carrying out periodic repairs that show the poverty of its
mind. For example, the use of terrazzo on the floor of the main prayer hall and the courtyard is
contrary to normal conservation practices that would have avoided using most
modern materials to maintain authenticity. Some recent renovation jobs, for
example applying the thick white plaster, have also drawn criticism from
experts.
Like in and around many other heritage
structures all over the country, the premises of Sat Gambuj Mosque is occupied
by religious groups building illegal structures and extensions to the listed building, ignoring its heritage value, building codes, and rules, fiercely
protecting their possessions.[2]
Few travelers see Sat Gambuj Mosque because of its somewhat remote location
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