Peer Pukur Mosque
Kaliganj, Bangladesh

In 1978, local villagers accidentally discovered the remains of the mosque. The mosque was partly restored and repaired by the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh and it is now a protected monument. It can be assumed from the ruins that it was a multi domed mosque contemporary with Khan Jahan Ali style mosques of Khalifatabad and located at historic Mohammadabad city, present day Barobazar, Jessore. Based on architectural style the date of construction can be estimated to be late-fifteenth century.

The Satgachia mosque was one of the larger examples of hypostyle mosque in this region, having a forest of columns topped by thirty-five small domes. Ruin of the mosque is situated on the bank of the Adina Pukur at the western edge of the Mohammadabad.

The mosque has an oblong plan of 75'0" x 50'2" externally and 60'0" x 35'0" internally. The structure was divided into seven equal interior bays and five rows, each grid was roofed over by a hemispherical dome. The eastern façade had seven arched entrances opening to a thirty-five grid prayer chamber. There were seven mihrabs, each aligned with the seven entrances at east and the central portion of the qibla wall was projected westward. Stylistically this kind is known as Khan Jahan Ali architecture, commonly found in and around south-western part of Bangladesh.

The rectangular structure was buttressed by four corner circular towers. Entrance arches were framed with rectangular shallow recesses. Both north and south facades had five arched opening used as entrances. The mosque was enclosed with massive brick walls while the interior was supported by twenty-four massive brick columns. The western wall had seven terracotta multi cusped arched mihrabs on the interior with the central one projected on the exterior.


Sources: 


Asher, C. B. Inventory of Key Monuments. In The Islamic Heritage of Bengal, George Michell, editor. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1984.

Hasan, P. Sultans and Mosques: The Early Muslim Architecture of Bangladesh. London: I. B. Tauris, 2007.

Islam, I., and Noblea, A. Mosque Architecture in Bangladesh: The Archetype and Its Changing Morphology. Journal of Cultural Geography, 17(2), 5-25, 1998.
Location
Jessore-Jhenaidah Highway, Kaliganj, Bangladesh
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Associated Collections
Events
Constructed late fifteenth century
Style Periods
Dimensions
Oblong plan of 75'0" x 50'2"
Variant Names
Peerpukur Mosque
Alternate
Peerpukur Masjid
Alternate
Building Usages
religious