Musa Khan Mosque is one of the few Mughal structures on

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

that stands in the southern part of the country's capital

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

. Built in 18th century the mosque holds significant historical values and is named after the son of medieval

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

's one of the most prominent

Baro-Bhuyan The Baro-Bhuyans (or ''Baro-Bhuyan Raj''; also ''Baro-Bhuians'' and Baro-Bhuiyans) refers to the confederacies of soldier-landowners in Assam and Bengal in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. The confederacies consisted of loose ...

Isa Khan Isa Khan (c. 1529 – September 1599) was a Muslim Rajput zamindar who was one of the Baro Bhuiyans (twelve landlords) and a Zamindar of Khizirpur in 16th-century Bengal. Throughout his reign he resisted the Mughal empire invasion. It was o ...

's son Musa Khan. The structure was erected during the Mughal regime in Bengal by the grandson of Musa Khan, Diwan Munawar Khan. The three-domed mosque is currently situated in the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...

campus, beside

Shahidullah Hall Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah Hall is one of the three founding residential halls of the University of Dhaka. Established in 1921 as Lyton Hall it was subsequently renamed Dhaka Hall and renamed again for the famous linguist Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah fo ...

and behind the

Curzon Hall The Curzon Hall is a British Raj-era building and home of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Dhaka. The building was originally intended to be a town hall and is named after Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India who laid its foundation st ...

. The mosque is now under significant threat due to a metro-rail project of the government of Bangladesh and is included in the list of 75 structures that may face serious consequences due to the metro-rail.

Background

The land of

in medieval age was used to be ruled by approximately twelve landlords who were popularly known as

in the history. Baro-Bhuyans were led by

, a

Muslim Rajput Muslim Rajputs are the descendants of Rajputs of Northern regions of the Indian subcontinent who are followers of Islam. They converted from Hinduism to Islam from the medieval period in India onwards, retaining historically Hindu surnames suc ...

commander who conducted a series of successful military campaigns and successfully resisted the Mughal invasion in Bengal till his death. His capital was situated in Sonargaon of

Narayanganj District Narayanganj District ( bn, নারায়ণগঞ্জ, Narayoṇgonj) is a district in central Bangladesh which is a part of the Dhaka Division. It is home to the ancient city of Sonargaon and is one of the oldest industrial districts in the ...

. After his death in 1599, his son Musa Khan took over the control and continued his father's legacy to fight

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

in the western and northern fronts but was eventually defeated by Mughal general

Islam Khan I Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (1570–1613; known as Islam Khan Chisti) was a Mughal general and the Subahdar of Bengal. He transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Dhaka and renamed it Jahangirnagar. He was awarded the titular name of Isla ...

, and later became loyal to Mughals and served the

Mughal army The Army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 15th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselves, ...

during the Tripura campaign. Musa Khan died a natural death in 1623 and was buried in

. His grandson, Diwan Munawar Khan, in remembrance of his grandfather built a mosque beside Musa Khan's grave.

Architecture

The mosque has three domes and it built on a vaulted platform of around 3 meters height. The width of the platform varies from 17 meters to 14 meters. Under the platform there are series of rooms which are now badly damaged. The top of the stage can be reached by an extended staircase on the southwestern corner. The mosque proper occupies the western half of the platform. The four octagonal corner towers with extra towers by their sides rise above the flat fortifications and end in compact cabins with domes on the top.

Threat

The Mughal structure, which is one of the rarest one of the country is under threat due to a metro-rail project adjacent to it. The structure is among 75 structures with historical importance that has fallen under threat due to the project.

Gallery

Musa Khan Mosque 17.jpg Musa Khan's Mosque.jpg Mosque of Musa Kha.jpg চিত্র-২ মুসা খান মসজিদের পার্শ্ব দৃশ্য.jpg, চিত্র-৫ মুসা খান মসজিদের সম্মুখভাগ.jpg, মুসা খান মসজিদের ভিতরের সদর দরজা.jpg, Musa khan mosque inside view.jpg, ঐতিহাসিক মুসা খান মসজিদ 04.jpg চিত্র-১ মুসা খান মসজিদের সম্মুখভাগের সাইনবোর্ড.jpg Grave of Musa Khan in Curzon Hall compound, Dhaka University..jpg, Grave of Musa Khan at the north-east corner of Musa Khan Mosque

References

{{coord, 23.7268, N, 90.4007, E, region:BD_type:edu, display=title Mosques in Dhaka

Background

Architecture

Threat

Gallery

See also

References