Muslim Architecture of Bakla-Chandradwipa: Majidbaria Shahi Mosque
Majidbaria Shahi Mosque is a historic mosque located in Patuakhali district. It is one of the oldest mosques in southern Bangladesh. The mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Ruknuddin Barbak Shah in the 15th century CE. According to the construction period of other antiquities, this mosque in Patuakhali district is considered to be the oldest Muslim architectural masterpiece in the Barishal region, famous for its ancient Bakla-Chandradwip.
An inscription found in the mosque indicates that Khan-ul Moazzam Azail Khaon built this mosque during the reign (1459 – 1476 CE) of Sultan Ruknuddin Barbak Shah of Bengal. It is also known that the inscription of the mosque is currently preserved at the Asiatic Society of Kolkata of West Bengal in India. The mosque was discovered by the British Government Commissioner R. H. Reili in 1860 CE.
Map: Location of Ajail Kha Mosque (Masjidbaria Mosque).
This mosque with a single dome is built on a rectangular land plan. The length of the mosque including the walls is 15 meters and the width is 10.5 meters. The walls of the mosque are 2-meter-wide. It has a veranda on the east side. The eastern wall of the mosque has 3 entrances. There are 3 more entrances from the veranda to the main prayer room on the west side of the mosque. Currently, excepting the entrance in the middle of the eastern wall of the mosque, all the other entrances have been closed with iron grills. The arches of the entrance of the mosque are of the Gothic type. It was built of thin bricks.
Inside the mosque, there are 3 mihrabs on the western wall. These mihrabs, which have a multifoil arch design, have terracotta decorated plaques. The mihrab in the middle of the wall is large. Its inner walls are decorated with terracotta plaques with vines, leaves and flowers. Six octagonal decorated towers are seen on the outer wall of the mosque. The only dome on the roof of the mosque looks semi-circular.
Fig: The western wall inside the mosque and three mihrabs.
The overall construction style of this mosque, including its dome, entrance and turrets, is quite similar to the architectural style of the mosques built in the medieval city of Khalifatabad in Bagerhat and the architectural style of the Kasba Mosque in Gouranadi in Barishal.
Fig: The Large mihrab on the middle of the western wall inside the mosque.
The Majidbaria Shahi Mosque is located in the village named Majidbaria under Mirzaganj Upazila of Patuakhali district. About 3.5 kilometers west of the Patuakhali Sadar Chowmatha on the Dhaka-Kuakata highway is the Payra River Kheyaghat. After crossing this Kheyaghat, about 6 kilometers west by road is the market called Subidkhali. From this market, along a road, about 15 kilometers south, this historic mosque can be seen in the village of Majidbaria.
Fig: The ornamental terracotta plaques of the mihrabs in the mosque.
It is known that in 1913 CE, the Archaeological Survey of India declared the mosque a protected monument. It is currently one of the protected monuments of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Which is listed and under the supervision of the Department of Archaeology. [Md. Shahin Alam]
References:
1. Hossain, Md. Mosharraf, Utser Sandhane Chandradwip Bakla Barishal, (2010), Dhaka, page: 80-81 (Bengali).
2. Ahmed, Siraj Uddin, Barishal Bibhager Etihas, First Section, Bhaskar Publications, (2003), Barishal-Dhaka, page:174-175 (Bengali).
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Majidbaria Shahi Mosque | Patuakhali | Bangladesh