Faqir Mosque
Faqir Mosque (Bengali: ফকির মসজিদ, Arabic: مسجد الفقير) is an oblong six-domed Islamic place of worship in Bangladesh's Chittagong District. The fifteenth-century mosque dates back to the Bengal Sultanate period.[1]
| Faqir Mosque | |
|---|---|
ফকির মসজিদ | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni |
| Year consecrated | 1474-1481 |
| Status | active |
| Location | |
| Location | Dewannagar, Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic architecture |
| Date established | 1474-1481 |
| Completed | 1474-1481 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 100 |
| Length | 6.5m |
| Width | 6.5m |
| Dome(s) | 6 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Materials | Brick |
Location Edit
It is located in the Chittagong District's Hathazari Upazila, specifically in the Mouza of Dewannagar.
History Edit
There is a broken inscription found in the premises which states that the mosque was constructed during the reign of the Sultan of Bengal Shamsuddin Yusuf Shah (1474-1481 CE). The mosque was supposedly abandoned for decades, hidden behind the dense bushes and jungle forestry.[2] A faqir by the name of Sufi Muqim Shah was said to have rediscovered it and more worshippers started using the mosque. Muqim Shah's tomb is located adjacent to the mosque, and the mosque came to be known as Fakir Mosque.[3]
Moulvi Hamidullah Khan mentioned this mosque in his Aḥādīth al-Khawānīn (1853). Historian Abdul Karim also gave a description of the mosque and it's inscription. The mosque was renovated from 1993 to 1994.
Description Edit
The double-aisle mosque measures 14.63m x 10.66m on the outside and 11.65m x 7.54m on the inside.[4] On its four corners are four conjoined minarets and the central Mihrab in a half-height adjoining tower cell.[5] All the towers or minarets of the mosque are octagonal in shape, which rise above the roof and are covered with a small dome. The east wall has three very low and pointed exterior arches. The prayer hall is divided into three courtyards by two pillars. The central mihrab is larger than the other two side mihrabs. Its niche is adorned with chains and bell motifs.[3]
References Edit
- ^ Uddin, Minhaj; Roy, Pinaki (26 March 2016). "Ctg historic sites left in ruins". The Daily Star. Chittagong.
- ^ Abul Kalam Mohammed Zakaria. বাংলাদেশের প্রাচীন কীর্তি: মুসলিম যুগ [Bangladesh's ancient glory: Muslim era] (in Bengali). p. 198.
- ^ a b Shamsul Hossain (2012). "Fakir Mosque". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Nujaba Binte Kabir (November 2009). The Grammar of Sultanate mosques in Bengal architecture (Thesis). Chinese University of Hong Kong.
- ^ Hasan, Perween. “Sultanate Mosques and Continuity in Bengal Architecture.” Muqarnas, vol. 6, 1989, pp. 58–74. JSTOR. Accessed 17 Dec. 2020.