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Muazzampur Shahi Mosque is situated at village Muazzampur (Mahjampur) in Sonargaon thana of Narayanganj district. It stands near the market place within an enclosed courtyard; the tomb of Shah Langar (Shah Alam Shah) is to its south. The mosque was built in between 1432 and 1436 AD (836-839 AH) during the reign of shamsuddin ahmad shah. It is a rectangular building, measuring 9.57m
´
8.05m in the interior and 12.97m ´
9.30m in the exterior, with two engaged octagonal corner towers and three entrances on the front side, the central entrance being slightly wider. There are smaller entrances on the north and south sides, and a projection on the west side for the central mihrab. The back of the western wall of the mosque displays exquisite surface decoration with curved bricks containing excellent indigenous motifs. The portion of the wall containing the mihrab projection is richly decorated in the form of a panel containing a cusped arch with hanging chain and pendant motif. The panel is flanked by decorated columns and there is a rectangular panel below the pendant, having two wavy twigs. This is a rare example of ornamental twigs. The octagonal stone pillars divide the interior into two bays and three aisles, which are covered by six domes carried on pendentives. Of the six engaged stone pilasters on the walls, two each belongs to the east and west, and one each to the north and south walls. There are three semi-circular mihrabs in the west, the central one being larger and curved out of stone with trefoil cusps. Such a cusped stone arch of the mihrab is also noticed in Fath Shah's Mosque (1484) at Mograpara and the Dewanbagh Mosque (c 16th century). The side mihrabs are now being used as closets.
The mosque has been renovated and extended in the east
by a verandah. A minar has been added on the northeastern side.
It is presently being used as a Jami mosque. [Muazzam Hussain Khan] |
