Mosque city of Bagerhat

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat


State Party = BAN
Type = Cultural
Criteria = iv
ID = 321
Region = Asia-Pacific
Year = 1985
Session = 9th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/321

Mosque City of Bagerhat is one of the three World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh.This historic city is located within Bagerhat District in south-west Bangladesh. It was founded by Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the early 15th century. Originally this ancient city was known as Khalifatabad. The city is renowned for its large concentration of mosques and Islamic monuments.

More than 50 monuments have been catalogued as part of the citation by UNESCO World Heritage. These include Shatgombuj Mosque, mausoleum of Khan Jahan, the mosques of Singar, Bibi Begni, Reza Khoda, Zindavir etc.

Mosques

hatgumbad Mosque

The Sixty Pillar Mosque (the Shatgumbad) is a mosque located in Bagerhat, south Bangladesh. This is one of the oldest mosques in the country. It attracts a large number of tourists and visitors every year. It has more than sixty pillars with its eighty one gambuj or domes. Seventy seven domes are over the roof and four smaller ones over the four corner towers. It was established by Khan Jahan Ali, a Muslim saint and the local ruler of Bagerhat, during the 15th century CE. The mosque is decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks.

As it is heard that this mosque had been used for three purposes.
* As a prayer mosque.
* As an assembly hall on early times of Muslims.
* Madrasa.

ee also

*World Heritage Site
*Bagerhat District
*Khan Jahan Ali

External links

* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/321 Official Citation at UNESCO World Heritage website]
* [http://www.world-heritage-tour.org/asia/bd/bagerhat/map.html View Panographies of the site]