Gallery
Description
Property Name: Shait-Gumbad Mosque
Inventory No: 880-401-2
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2007-11-09
Country (State party): Bangladesh
Province: Bagerhat
Town:
Geographic coordinates: 22° 39′ 30″ N
89° 45′ 29″ E
Historic Period: 15th century, 2nd half
Year of Construction: 1459
Style: Tuklug
Original Use: Mosque
Current Use: Mosque
Architect: Unknown
Significance
Situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat, at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, this ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. The city’s infrastructure reveals considerable technical skill and an exceptional number of mosques and early Islamic monuments, many built of brick, can be seen there.
Selection Criteria
iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
State of Preservation
• “Renovation, preservation and conservation of walls, columns, domes (including terracotta plaques and other ornamental works) for Shait Gumbad Mosque”.
• 38 acres of land is owned by DoA. 3 ancillary buildings have been demolished. A new museum, rest house and boundary wall have been constructed. Planting to control wind-blown dust has been carried out. This brick building in Bagerhat is the largest historical mosque in Bangladesh. Therefore, great attention is paid to the construction and repair of this building. This Mosque was restored and repaired by the ‘Archeology Departmant of Bangladesh’. Currently, this structure is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
References
Unesco Website: http://whc.unesco.org
Ahmed, Nazimuddin. Islamic Heritage of Bangladesh. Dacca: Department of Films and Publication, 1980.
Hasan, Syed Mahmudul. Mosque architecture of pre-Mughal Bengal. Dhaka: University Press Limited, 1979.