Cover story
Hidden gems of Sat Masjid Road
by Galib Rahman Khan
Dhaka was a grandiose city in its heyday during Mughal rule. The city was full of gorgeous pieces of Mughal architecture, although large forts, grand mausoleums or fascinating charbagh gardens were not built. Most probably, as it was a provincial city, most structures were small in size (Lalbagh Fort being an exception).
Some such significant structures are still there on Sat Masjid Road and nearby areas. This particular road of Dhanmondi goes south to north. Pilkhanas 4th gate is the south point and Mohammadpur bus stand is the north point. It is a very old road, even the Pilkhana (Place for Elephants) area and north points Allah Karim Mosque have a Mughal flavour.
All Mughal structures of this area have uniqueness. Four of those have survived, whatever their condition. The old quarters are no more, especially Sarai Jafrabad. But there are still old settlements in nearby Rayerbazar and Hazaribagh.
The name Sat Masjid is also evolved from a Mughal architectural heritage called Sat Gambuj Mosque. Actually, this road leads to Sat Gambuj Mosque. Commonly, two names of this mosque are used _ Sat Gambuj Masjid and Sat Masjid.
Sat Gambuj Mosque, the most famous one, is on the south point of the ring road, very close to Sat Masjid Road. There is no inscription. But experts say it was built in the 1680s in the time of Shaista Khan, as the building style is from the Subahdars era. At the time, the mosque was on the bank of the Buriganga River. The situation is totally different today. A madrassa is there now, encroaching on the river. Wish, the river was there in place just like in the past, adding to the beauty of the place.
The mosque is seven domed, which is the basis of its name. Four hollow large towers and domes over those towers make the mosque different from other mosques of Dhaka.
The front yard is divided into two parts. There are some old graves in the outer one. The mosque is longer north to south, like other Mughal mosques. The middle dome is the largest. The central entrance is adorned with two minarets. The four corner octagonal towers were built using a special design. The prayer hall is one-storied, but towers are two-storied.
On the opposite side, there is an old mausoleum on a high base. As per Syed Aulad Husain, it may be the grave of one of Shaista Khans daughters. As the inscription is missing and there is no reliable reference, it is actually not possible to ascertain whose grave it is. So, it is called the Unknown Tomb. But its size and ornamentation declares that it is definitely of an important person. The architectural style also says it was likely built in Shaista Khans time. The roof is a flat vault, instead of a dome. It is a square structure with three openings, except on the western side, which has a mihrab (niche). That is very much uncommon in our region.
Allah Karim Mosque is a large mosque, with a shopping complex, at Mohammadpur bus stand. Seeing its present condition, it is quite impossible to believe that it is a very old mosque, once called Allah Kuri (or Kurir) Mosque. Dr Ahmad Hasan Dani wrote in the 1950s: It is reported that the inscription was removed by the Raja of Bhawal in the last century. Why did the Raja do so, there is no explanation. It may just be a story. But an inscription was there. An empty space (for a plaque) on the central gateway can be seen in old images. The missing inscription does not give us the opportunity to know its age. Another point, the original main structure has been demolished. By observing that, experts had assumed the mosque was from Shaista Khans time. Destroying old heritage sites is a common trend in this country; so it is no surprise that a near-to-ruins structure was demolished in the 1950s and a new structure built in its place. The actual small single-domed structure was square in shape, with four corner minars.
A row of modern buildings is the barrier between Bibis Mosque in Lalmatias F Block and Sat Masjid Road. Situated beside a huge pond, this mosque actually was a very old mausoleum, and may be one of oldest in Dhaka.
The mosques old structure is a single-domed central nave and it is a unique one. Originally, it included a portion of a wonderful old building, called Dara Begums Tomb, in the south. Who was Dara Begum, or who built the tomb, both are difficult to answer. Old images and experts opinions suggest that the building period was before Shaista Khans time. Local people mistook it as a mosque as they did not find any grave, and the mihrab in the western wall consolidated the belief.
But it was not a mosque, as it has a verandah with aisles on the south side, instead of on the eastern side, which is common for a Mughal or pre-Mughal mosque.
The main attraction was the large dome, 25 feet in diameter, and there is no other example of such a big dome in Dhaka. Primarily, its shape was totally round, as can be seen in photos taken in the 1950s. But changes were made during renovation, possibly in the 1970s. Definitely, the room below was strongly built to bear the weight of such an enormous dome. The transformation from a tomb to mosque was completed in the Pakistan period. Nowadays, it is part of a madrassa complex, and it is tough to accept it as a heritage site.
Eidgah on Sat Masjid Road, between roads 6/A and 7/A of Dhanmondi, is 374-years-old! This is the only site among Sat Masjid Roads Mughal structures where we can find an inscription. As per the inscription, the Eidgah was built by Mir Abul Qasim (a Diwan of Shah Shuja and builder of Boro Katra). Only the western wall is original, but its faade bears a different look after two major renovations.
In the middle, there is a central mihrab, with six other mihrabs on both sides. An inscription was set just above the central mihrab. The other three walls, which were about six-feet high and had completely collapsed, have been rebuilt. The present walls contain metal grills, which is totally unacceptable.
It is reported that the ruler and other elites came to pray during Eids here. A branch of an extinct river (Pandu River) was the way to come here. But is there any rationality to why they came all the way here to pray from the city centre (now Old Dhaka)? The logical reply should be no. But there may be two possibilities: it was part of the main city, or it was a potential urban setting where some key person(s) lived.
However, the present condition of the Eidgah is horrible, with different utility services having set up offices around it to serve citizens interest!
The old structures represent a very rich urban heritage, which is almost missing from our written history. But all of them are in bad shape. Hopefully, the Department of Archaeology (DoA), entrusted with protecting such sites, will take a lead in making things better. And the first task must be the removal of unwanted structures around Eidgah. n
The writer is a banker and affiliated with Save the Heritages of Bangladesh as an admin.
Photos: Parvez Ahmed
Image sources: 1 2 _ Banglapedia; 3 _ Plate#11, Ahmad Hasan Dani, Dacca: Record of its Changing Fortunes, 1962; 4 _ Plate#67, AKM Zakariah, Bangladesher Pratnasampad, 1984; 5 _ Architect Mahfuz Alam, DoA; 6 _ http://www.skyscrapercity.com;
7 _ http://dhakadailyphoto.blogspot.com.
