MIAH BARI MOSQUE 18TH CENTURY

Just about ten kilometers from the divisional Head quarter Barisal is a village named Ruiya under the union Karapur, where the remnants of a large residential complex is found. This complex comprises of two big tanks with associated ghat, ruins of several boundary walls and foundation of few residential buildings. These recall the glorious past of this settlement. This impressive two storied mosque structure is located on the north eastern part of the complex and eastern bank of a large tank, presently known as Miah Bari mosque. While this edifice bears no inscription, according to the historian M. Hasan it was probably constructed in the eady eighteenth century (Hasan 1987: 23), when two storied mosque structure such as the Khan Muhammad Mridha (1706A.D.) and Kartalab Khan (1704A.D.) mosques were popular in Dhaka

KHAN MOHAMMAD MOQSUE 17TH CENTURY A.D.

This mosque is located at Atishkhana nighbourh, near Lalbag fort in Dhaka. The mosque of Khan Muhammad Mridha was built in 1116 A.H./1706A.D., according to an inscription placed in the frontal facade of this mosque (Hasan 1980: 59-60). The nomenclature of the mosque derives from that of the builder Khan Muhammad Mridha, who constructed it following the order of Quazi Ebadullah, who was probably the chief Quazi of the then Mughal Dhaka under the Deputy Governor Farrukshah (Dani 1960:203). The complex is encompassed by a 3.65m high boundary wall, the openings and recessed panels of which are designed in pure geometrical order and symmetric manner. The mosque building is erected on a high podium 4.87m above the ground level. The Tahkhana or the substructure of the podium has a continuous verandah around it and all the internal small rooms are connected from this circulation area and are covered by flat brick roof.

LALBAGH FORT MOSQUE 17 CENTURY A.D.

The most magnificent, but unfortunately incomplete Mughal fort at Dhaka is the Lalbag fort or fort Aurangabad, situated in the south western part of the old city once overiooking the Buriganga River to the south. The viceroy of Mughal Bengal (1678A.D.) Prince Muhammad Azam, son of Emperor Aurangazeb, was the originator of this fort. Governor Shaista Khan continued the project, and after the premature death of his daughter Bibi Pari the construction of the fort was not continued and the fort was left unfinished (Dani 1969:221). Among the remaining structures, there are a long fortified wall, three gates, large tank, darbar hall, hammam, tomb of Pari Bibi, service block with a rooftop garden and a mosque. This elegant mosque is located in the western part of the central axis of the fort complex.

SAT GAMBUJ MOSQUE 17 CENTURY A.D.

S'at Gambuj mosque is one of the well preserved seven domed mosques in the ancient Mughal Capital Dhaka, located now in the Muhammadpur area of the city. "It may have been built by Nawab Shaista Khan, as the local tradition remembers. Stylistically it can be dated to the later half of the 1 7'^ century A.D." (Dani 1 960: 220) Picturesquely it was situated on the edge of a low swampy pool, which once formed a part of the river Buriganga presently known as river Turag that now sifted its course to about one km to the west. The original romantic setting of the mosque complex on a solid, spacious and buttressed high podium overiooking extensive water as background is now totally destroyed by the earth filling in the rear areas and subsequently the construction of several residences along with a five storied madrasa building on the back or west.

KHAWAZA SHAHBAZ MOSQUE 1679 A.D.

0ne of the most well preserved mosque complex of Dhaka city belonging to the 17* century is the Khawaja Shahbaz's mosque complex. It is located to the east of the modern mausoleum of three national leaders and to the south-east corner of the Suhrawardy Uddyan. It is named after its builder Haji Khawaja Shahbaz, a well-known marchent of Dhaka during the reign of viceroy Muhammad Azam, whose tomb lies on the eastern part of this complex. According to the inscription still placed over the central doorway of the mosque, it was built in 1089A.H./1679A.D. (Banglapedia 2003:108).

SHAH NIMATULLAH MOSQUE 17TH CENTURY A.D.

This Mughal mosque is a part of the Tahkhana complex, which consists of a large residential enclave, the tomb of a holy saint Shah Niamatullah Wall and some ruined service quarter. This complex, stands on the western bank of a large tank, is located about half a kilometer to the north-west of the Chhoto Sona mosque and approached through a metal road which branches off from the Chhoto Sona-Kotwali Darwaza road. The building is not inscribed, but it is traditionally affirmed that the whole tahkhana complex was built by Subahdar Shah Shuja (1 639-1 660A.D.) (Husaini 997:1 17), who had his court at Rajmahal, in honour of the saint Shah Niamatullah Wall, who lies buried in a nearby earliest known Mughal tomb structure in Bangladesh. Recently the whole area of the tahkhana complex along with the mosque proper has been extensively renovated by the Directorate of Archaeology of Bangladesh.

SHAH MUHAMMAD MOSQUE 17TH CENTURY A.D.

This Shah Muhammad mosque is located at Egarasindhur under Pakundia upazilla of Kishoregonj district and about half a kilometer away from another famous mughal mosque named Sadi's mosque (1652). The origin of its name is till unknown, but probably after the name of the builder. The original inscription slab which was once fixed over the entrance door is now missing. So its exact time of erection is not known. However after analyzing its architectural style, many historians presumed that it may be dated to about late 17th century.