Shat Gambuj Masjid

The Shat Gambuj Masjid is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural [স্থাপত্য] beauties of Bangladesh. Saint [সাধু] and warrior [যোদ্ধা] Ulugh Khan Jahan, the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the South, founded this multi domed mosque in Bagerhat district. The stately [রাজকীয়] fabric [কারিগরি] of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast [প্রশস্ত] sweet water tank, clustered [গুচ্ছ গুচ্ছ] around by the heavy foliage [সবুজ] of a low lying countryside characteristic [চরিত্রগত] of a seacoast landscape [প্রাকৃতিক ভূ-দৃশ্য]. The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 ‘chauchala’ or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched [নমিত] doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and the south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal [অনুদৈর্ঘ্য] aisles [স্তম্ভশ্রেনী] and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender [পেলব] stones columns. The arches are six feet in thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior [বহি:] of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior [অভ্যন্তর] western wall of the mosque is’ beautifully decorated with terracotta [পোড়ামাটি] flowers and foliage. Besides being used as a prayer hall, the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali.