Shat Gombuj Mosque

Historical Shat Gombuj Mosque is one of the oldest mosques built-in Bangladesh. In the southwest of the country, the ancient mosque was honored as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983. The mosque has placed Bagerhat city among the three world-famous towns of Bangladesh. The masjid (mosque) located in the Sundargghona village on the north side of Khulna-Bagerhat highway, is just 7 kilometers away from Bagerhat city, southwest of the country. 

 

There is no inscription on the mosque. So no accurate information is available about who was created or at what time it was built. But seeing the architecture of the mosque, it is sure that Khan-i-Jahan builds it. It is believed that in the fifteenth century, the mosque was built by Khan-ul-Azam Ulugh Khan-i-Jahan Khan Jahan Ali (R.).
The mosque is about 160 feet in the north-south direction and about 143 feet long in the interior and about 108 feet to the east-west and about 90 feet wide in the interior. The walls are about 8 feet thick. The roof height from the floor inside the mosque is about 21 feet.

How many domes are in shat gombuj mosque: Although the mosque is known as sixty domes it comes in total 81. Excluding the four domes of the tower, complete domes are 77. Of the 77 dome, 70 rounded circular and seven domes of four corners in the middle row. There are stairs on the top (roof) through the south-eastern corner tower. Its name is 'Raushakota.' The northeast is the name of a tower called 'Aandhar Kotha.' There was also a staircase above which it was closed.

There is a total of 77 domes in the 7th row (7x11) in the vertical section of the east-west of the Shat gombuj Mosque. To carry this load of dome projects, the lower part of the roof (6x10) has 60 stone pillars.

The history of naming the mosque: Historians believe that since this sixty pillar is the name of the mosque, 'sixty-five,' there is a distorted 'sixty-five. Again, some historians believe that there are seven rows of the dome, and this is called 'seven domes' and '7 gombuj' has been named from it.

There is another view of historians about name calling of the mosque; the roof is not equal to the Zodiac shape. That is the dome on the ceiling. From which the mosque was known as 'Rooftop dome.' From there, the name 'sixty domes' has been called. It is well-known that Hazrat Khan Jahan (R) brought all the stone stones to the construction of the sixty dome mosque, in the opinion of the Rajmahal of Orissa, India, through its miraculous power, floating rocks on the water. The structure of the building is characterized by the particular influence of Tughlaq architecture.

Architectural details: There are ten mihrabs in the western wall inside the sixty dome mosque. The larger mihrab is bigger and more compact in comparison to the shape. There are five mihrabs in the south and four mihrabs in the north. Just a small door on the north side next to the middle of the mihrab. It is assumed that Khan-i-Jahan used this mosque as a Darbar house beside the work of prayer, and this door was the entrance to the courtroom. Others say that the mosque was also used as Madrasha at that time.

The mosque has 11 large enclosure doors on the eastern wall. The middle door is bigger than the others. The north and south walls have seven doors. There is a total of 26 gateways on the side of the main Mehrab on the western aspect of the sixty-domes mosque. There are four monuments or towers in the four corners of the mosque. Their design is round, and they are narrowed upwards. Monuments, more than the rooftop cornice. 

They have horny bands and rounded dome with corners. The height of the There were two stairs on the front of the two stairs, and the arrangement from Azan to this place was there.Their names are 'Rowshankotha' and 'Aandarkotha.' In the mosque, 60 pillars or pillars have been cut in stone. Some of them were covered with a brick barn in front of the rock. This was done to maintain consistency with the plasterless wall of the mosque, very likely. Although the stone pillars are still present for preservation, a mainstay is open for visitors.

History of the mosque: During the period of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1435-59), Khan-ul-Azam Ulugh Khan-i-Jahan (R.) formed the state of Khalifabad with the coasts of the Sundarbans. Khan Jahan established a Darbar Hall in the governing capital of his majestic capital and to hold meetings, which is known as the sixty Dome Mosque. Its plan is similar to the Rajshahi Mosque of Delhi and Lahore.The construction of the Tughlaqi and Johanpuri style in the mosque is apparent.

In the seven row of twenty-one Qatar, three thousand people can pray together. There is a separate prayer place for women. ‍So many visitors from home and abroad come to visit the mosque every year especially in March and December. Recently the spotlight was set around the mosque, and it is now more beautiful to watch at night.

Hazrat Ulugh Khan Jahan Ali (R.) was born in 1369 AD in a respected family in Delhi. His father's name is Akbar Khan and mother's name is Ambia Bibi. Khan Jahan Ali started his primary education with his father, but he took his secondary education at the famous Wali at Kamil Pir Shaheed Bariamatullah of Delhi. He studied the Qur'an, Hadith, Sunnah, and Fiqh in the profound knowledge.

Khan Jahan Ali shrine and the pond: Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (R) (born 1369 - October 25, 1459) was a Muslim preacher and local ruler of Bagerhat in Bangladesh. His other names include Ulugh Khan, Khan-i-Azam, etc.Khan Jahan Ali started his career as commander of the army of Tughlaq army in 1389 AD. Within a short span of time, he was promoted to the post of Chief General. In 1394 at the age of 26-27, he joined Javitan (governor) of Jainpur province. Later, King Ganesh took shelter in Bhatariya, Dinajpur, after attacking Bengal with more than two lakh soldiers, including 60,000 well-trained forward troops led by Sultan Khan Jahan.

Khan Jahan Ali Shrine

In 1418, Khanjahan took the position in Jessore's bar market and started spreading and spreading Islam in the southwest part of Bengal. Khan Jahan's first wife named Sona Bibi It is said that Sona Bibi is the only daughter of Pir Nur-Kutubul Alam of Khan Jahan. Khan Jahan's second wife Rupa Bibi alias Bibi Begini was a converted Muslim. Khanjahan Ali, according to his two wives, built a mosque named Sona Mosque and Bibi Begoni Mosque.

Khan Jahan Ali Pond/Dighi

Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (R.) died on October 25, 1459 (according to the inscription of the Mazar Sharif, 863 AH, 26th Zilhaj) passed away at the age of 90, while performing Esha prayers at the Darbar house of sixty dome mosque.

After digging a huge 200-acre-size pond, a couple of fresh water crocodiles were released into the lake so that no one could waste the water of the lake. Since then, this freshwater crocodile inhabits the zodiac saint Khanjahan Ali dargah lakes.
 

The archaeological and museum department of the government has taken charge of the shrine of the historic shat gombuj mosque and Khan Jahan (R.) to preserve it as a heritage.