Hello local guides,
Happy Ramadan mubarak. Today i share about Goaldi Mosque. One of the old islamic heritage of Bangladesh. This iconic single dome mosque is situated just near my residence.
History:
Bara Bhuiya chiefs Isa Khan and Musa Khan, and prior to them some independent Sultans of Bengal, had their capital at Sonargaon. Besides the city and the miscellaneous picturesque establishments of the state—such as royal palaces, court buildings, mint, etc.—Muslim rulers also erected beautiful mosques, madrasahs, mausolea, khanqahs, bridges, wells, and other edifices of diverse nature and uses.
This single-domed mosque before us, built by Mulla Hizbar Akbar Khan in 1519 A.D., is the second important erection of Sonargaon and one among innumerable mosques that came up throughout the length and breadth of the Sultan’s territory.
The beautiful arabesque design of Muslim traditions on the bricks and stones of the mosque is comparable to the ornamentation found on monuments of Gaur, Pandua, and other centres of Bengal. Some original decoration survives in the west wall, particularly in the three mihrabs. The wonderful central mihrab, constructed with black basalts, displays charming decoration. On the whole, the decorative elements of the mosque are superb and pleasing to look at, arranged in a symmetrical manner.
Due to lack of proper maintenance and long neglect, or through some unknown natural cause, much of the mosque—particularly the major part of the dome and the walls on the north, east, and south sides—collapsed. The mosque was abandoned and was replaced by a neighbouring single-domed mosque, which was constructed in 1116 A.H. / 1705 A.D. during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Since then, the Muslims of the locality have been offering their prayers in the later mosque.
This mosque of the Alauddin Husain Shah period was declared protected under the Antiquity Act in 1968, and the Department of Archaeology Bangladesh fully restored it to its original features.
Architectural info:
Goaldi Mosque has a square prayer hall with internal dimensions of 4.93 by 4.97 metres (16.2 by 16.3 ft) metres, surrounded by walls 1.65 to 2.29 metres thick. It is an example of the ‘enclosed square type’ mosque of Bengal, separated by a cubic prayer hall with entrances on all sides except the corner towers and the qibla wall. The mosque is covered by a single dome; there are ribbed turrets attached at the four corners; and the cornice is gently sloping. The round corner towers are a departure from the usual octagonal corner towers. It is the only example of round corner towers in Dhaka district. The cornice is further enhanced by rows of small niches with floral designs inside.
The east facade has three arched openings, each side of which is decorated with rectangular panels in the form of fine relief work, in which is a niche-like design of hanging lamps. The north and south facades have three arches similarly, although only the central arch is open and the two side arches are blind.
The dome is supported on squinches from stone pillars, two on each wall. The qibla wall has three mihrabs. These are decorated with a beautiful, intricate design made up of an ornamental hanging lamp motif. The two lateral mihrabs are similarly decorated but instead of black basalt they are made of brick and fine fired clay work.
Latest update:
Currently, the renovation work of the mosque has started again. The work is going on with the same design, keeping everything unchanged. Hopefully, this important and traditional mosque of Islamic history will be opened to everyone in a very short time.
Visiting information:
- Nearest bus station: Mograpara bus station.
- Wheelchair accessibility: only inner side of complex, not in mosque.
- Ticket: Free of cost (No tickets)
- Visit time: Any time of the Day.
- Weekend: Open 7 day in a week.
- Prayer option: Not used for prayer now. Instead of praying in the mosque, a newly built Abdul hamid mosque is now available just beside this one
This article is part of the Inspiring Ramadan Camping series by @MahabubMunna : Call for Collaboration with Us – Inspiring Ramadan’26
#Bdlg #Localguidesbd #Bangladeshlocalguide #InspiringRamadan26 #LocalGuidesconnect #IslamicHeritage
