Old Madina Mosque, Hazarduari Palace, Nizamat Fort Campus, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India.
Apart from the Hazardwari Palace, the Nizamat Fort complex is also a tourist attraction for other historical monuments. One of these is the old Medina Mosque. Which is famous for its magnificent architecture. Actually it is not a mosque but it is the center of the Imambara, which reflects the holy shrine of Imam Hussain Radhiallaho Taala Anho, who was the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and attained martyrdom at Karbala with entire family.
This magnificent edifice is surrounded by verandahs, with inclined roof which is supported by iron or wooden tubular posts which are braced by arches and decorated fringes or borders at the roof edges a decorative element for protection from rain water. All the four corners of verandahs slant roofs are crowned with decorated corner elements. Verandahs are enclosed by railing and to access the central chamber all the four walls are provisioned with rectangular doors. Central chamber is adorned by a magnificent hemispherical dome whose top is decorated with inverted lotus and crowned with finial. Dome’s base is supported by octagonal rim built on the arches which are supporting the eave roof. Lower base of the dome is plain and above two mouldings a series of arches as a decorative feature. Exterior roof edges are decorated with cornice and on walls two horizontal mouldings. Protruding roof corners are decorated with minarets which are ornamented and tops are with onion shaped domes and crowned with finials. Roof edge is having arcaded parapet.
It was closed as visitors can see from outside, might be opened during the first ten days of Muharram month of Hijri Calendar.
This small edifice is an example of attractive Islamic architecture. And the structures of this style and ornamentation were common during the reign of Nawab Alivardi Khan. And it symbolises the Imambara built in the past which was probably completed during the reign of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah. This is a place of worship of Shia community and it’s a sign of Karbala.
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