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80-640: The Singar Mosque is indeed a constituent of the Mosque City of Bagerhat , located in the south-western region of Bangladesh . Positioned on the southern side of the Bagerhat-Khulna Highway, it is situated approximately 200 metres (660 ft) southeast of the Sixty Dome Mosque . The Singar Mosque lacks any inscriptions that can be used to establish its exact date of construction. Architect Abu Sayeed M Ahmed estimates that it

160-812: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . These show other distinctive features, such as a multiplicity of doors and mihrab s; the Sixty Dome Mosque has 26 doors (11 at the front, 7 on each side, and one in the rear). These increased the light and ventilation. Further mosques include the Baro Shona Masjid ; the Pathrail Mosque , the Bagha Mosque , the Darasbari Mosque , and the Kusumba Mosque . Single-domed mosques include

240-636: A World Heritage Site in 1985. The remaining buildings of the city are largely mosques and bridges etc, which later locals did not like to take apart for their materials. Few original houses remain. The larger buildings use a version of the Bengal Sultanate style of Indo-Islamic architecture , with elements of various styles, including Bengali , Persian and Arab . The city covered 360 mosques (most of them of identical designs), many public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, network of roads and water reservoirs. The material used in building construction

320-589: A few steps on the Mausoleum itself. The tomb has black stones have been used in making the tomb and it is made of three steps. Verses from the Koran are inscribed in Arabic and Persian. There are inscriptions on the walls of the crypt which are inferred as providing historical information about Ulugh Khan Jahan's life. After retirement, Khan Jahan spent his retired life here and after his death on 25 October 1459, his tomb

400-634: A final stage added later). Its closest comparator is the 62-metre all-brick Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, of c.1190, a decade or so before the probable start of the Delhi tower. The surfaces of both are elaborately decorated with inscriptions and geometric patterns; in Delhi the shaft is fluted with "superb stalactite bracketing under the balconies" at the top of each stage. In general minarets were slow to be used in India, and are often detached from

480-552: A flight of broad and steep steps built from the embankment. It has a single domes structure built over a square plan of 47'0" x 47'0" externally while internally it has a square plan of 28'2" x 28'2". The building was made of brick walls over five layers of dressed stone which forms the basement. From recorded sources of 1866, it is also mentioned that the flooring had been inlaid with hexagonal encaustic tiles of different designs and colours (mostly blue, white and yellow). However, in its present condition such type of tiles are seen only on

560-626: A fort Akbar designed at Agra exhibits the Assyrian gryphon, Indian elephants, and birds. During the Mughal era design elements of Islamic-Persian architecture were fused with and often produced playful forms of the Hindustani art. Lahore , occasional residence of Mughal rulers, exhibits a multiplicity of important buildings from the empire, among them the Badshahi mosque (built 1673–1674),

640-421: A large number of tourists and visitors. The mosque is decorated mostly with terracotta and bricks. The Nine Dome Mosque is located to the west of the takur dighi tank and built in the 15th century. It is located near Khan Jahan Ali's tomb. Its western wall conventionally faces west towards Mecca , where the mihrab is inset; terracotta floral scrolls and flower motifs are the decorations seen around

720-458: A large one above the mihrab and four lesser ones at the corners. The large interior has a central hypostyle space, and wide aisles with "transverse" arches springing from unusually low down (illustrated). This distinctive feature is found in other Bahmanid buildings, and probably reflects Iranian influence, which is seen in other features such as a four-iwan plan and glazed tiles, some actually imported from Iran, used elsewhere. The architect of

800-440: A mark on Indian architecture that was a mix of Islamic, Persian, Arabic, Central Asian and native Indian architecture. A major aspect of Mughal architecture is the symmetrical nature of buildings and courtyards. Akbar , who ruled in the 16th century, made major contributions to Mughal architecture . He systematically designed forts and towns in similar symmetrical styles that blended Indian styles with outside influences. The gate of

880-669: A rectangular recess. The north and south walls each have two similar, but smaller niches. Squinches spring from brick pilasters to support the base of the dome. Mosque City of Bagerhat The Mosque City of Bagerhat ( Bengali : মসজিদের শহর বাগেরহাট , romanized :  Môsjider Shôhôr Bagerhat ; historically known as Khalifatabad ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat District , Bangladesh . It contains 360 mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, roads, water tanks and other public buildings constructed from baked brick. The mosques were built during

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960-424: A ruin, was the first structure. Like other early Islamic buildings it re-used elements such as columns from destroyed Hindu and Jain temples, including one on the same site whose platform was reused. The style was Iranian, but the arches were still corbelled in the traditional Indian way. Beside it is the extremely tall Qutb Minar , a minaret or victory tower, whose original four stages reach 73 meters (with

1040-553: A significant stage in human history", of which the Sixty Dome Mosque with actually 60 pillars and 77 domes, is the most well known. The mosques feature terracotta artwork and arabesque. The mosque city is situated in southern Bengal near the vast estuary of the Bengal delta . It is located 60 kilometres (37 mi) from the coast of the Bay of Bengal . The city is spread over an area of 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi), on

1120-404: A single mihrab in the qibla wall, on axis with the central entrance in the east. It is flanked by two decorated octagonal pilasters from which springs a multifoil arch with terracotta rosettes in the spandrels . All these are bordered by two rectangular frames, the space between which is filled with a four-petalled mesh in terracotta. To each side of the mihrab is a multifoil arched niche in

1200-443: A square plan of 26'0" x 26'0". It has a single hemispherical dome. The entirety is constructed of brick. There are three doorways in the east, and one each in the north and south. The central doorway in the east is higher and wider than the others. The exterior of the west wall has a mihrab projection from the ground to the cornice . At the four corners of the building are engaged circular towers which rise to roof level. The cornice

1280-501: Is a large octagonal brick-built mausoleum with polychrome glazed decoration that remains much closer to the styles of Iran and Afghanistan. Timber is also used internally. This was the earliest major monument of the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1413), built during the unsustainable expansion of its massive territory. It was built for a Sufi saint rather than a sultan, and most of the many Tughlaq tombs are much less exuberant. The tomb of

1360-500: Is a ruin, but parts are in fair condition. Some buildings from his reign take forms that had been rare or unknown in Islamic buildings. He was buried in the large Hauz Khas Complex in Delhi, with many other buildings from his period and the later Sultanate, including several small domed pavilions supported only by columns. By this time Islamic architecture in India had adopted some features of earlier Indian architecture, such as

1440-639: Is a square shaped single dome mosque. In what is typical to the Khan Jahan Style, the dome is supported on thick walls and topped with a cambered cornice . The Bigi Begni Mosque and the Chuna Khola Mosque are also single domed but much larger in size. The Ronvijoypur Mosque has the largest dome in Bangladesh. It is of 11 metres (36 ft) width supported by arches and pendentives . The corners have tapering circular turrets while

1520-458: Is from the 15th century. Other experts believe, based on the known ages of stylistically similar local buildings, that it was built in the mid-15th century. There is archaeological evidence that at one time the mosque compound was surrounded by a wall with towers at the corners and an entrance gate on the east. Banglapedia describes the mosque's condition in the early 1970s as "in utter ruin". The government's Department of Archaeology took over

1600-435: Is gently curved, being 12 inches (0.30 m) higher at the center than at the ends. The doorways are pointed archways set within rectangular recesses, at the top of which are several horizontal rows of terracotta ornamentation. The corner towers are divided horizontally at regular intervals by raised bands. The cornice has two bands decorated with terracotta. The mosque's walls are 7 feet (2.1 m) thick. The interior has

1680-500: Is often taken to be the earliest surviving square single-domed Islamic building in Bengal, the standard form of smaller mosques and mausoleums. But there is a small mosque at Molla Simla, Hooghly district , that is possibly from 1375, earlier than the mausoleum. The Eklakhi Mausoleum is large and has several features that were to become common in the Bengal style, including a slightly curved cornice , large round decorative buttresses at

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1760-506: Is the Taj Mahal . It was built as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal , the wife of Shah Jahan , who died in 1631. The main ideas and themes of garden tombs had already been explored by earlier Mughal emperors, and this was the culmination of all those previous works into a national landmark. The white tomb rises above a reflecting pool, within a large walled garden. The Red Fort in Delhi is also an important example of Mughal Architecture. It

1840-631: The Asaf Jahi dynasty became exceedingly wealthy and were one of the richest royal families in the world by the mid-20th century. The Nizam commissioned construction of various public works and buildings in their state (often in Indo-Saracenic and Mughal style) such as the Telangana High Court , City College , Public Gardens , (formerly Bagh-e-Aaam ), Jubilee Hall , Asafia Library , The Assembly building , Niloufer Hospital ,

1920-650: The Bengal , Gujarat , Deccan , Jaunpur and Kashmir Sultanates . By the Mughal period, generally agreed to represent the peak of the style, aspects of Islamic style began to influence architecture made for Hindus, with even temples using scalloped arches, and later domes. This was especially the case in palace architecture. Following the collapse of the Mughal Empire, regional nawabs such as in Lucknow , Hyderabad and Mysore continued to commission and patronize

2000-859: The Bengal Sultanate in the 15th century, of which the Sixty Dome Mosque is the largest. Other mosques include the Singar Mosque , the Nine Dome Mosque , the Tomb of Khan Jahan, the Bibi Begni Mosque and the Ronvijoypur Mosque. The mosques were built during the governorship of Ulugh Khan Jahan , a Turkic military officer appointed as governor in the Sundarbans by Sultan Mahmud Shah of Bengal . The site

2080-776: The British East India Company , prosperous provinces of the Mughal Empire such as Awadh , Bengal, Hyderabad and Mysore emerged as powerful regional states independent of Delhi. In Awadh (encompassing modern eastern Uttar Pradesh ), Lucknow emerged as a centre of Ganga-Jamuni culture and Urdu/Hindustani literature. The Nawabs of Awadh sponsored the construction of architectural masterpieces such as Bara Imambara , Rumi Darwaza , Chota Imambara , Sikandar Bagh and Ghantaghar in Lucknow, as well as Gulab Bari and Bahu Begum ka Maqbara in Faizabad . In Hyderabad,

2160-691: The Firoz Minar was built in Gauda to commemorate Bengali military victories. The ruined Adina Mosque (1374–75) is very large, which is unusual in Bengal, with a barrel vaulted central hall flanked by hypostyle areas. It is said to be the largest mosque in the sub-continent, and modeled after the Ayvan-e Kasra of Ctesiphon, Iraq, as well as the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus. The heavy rainfall in Bengal necessitated large roofed spaces, and

2240-616: The Ghoradighi and Dargadighi still survive), cisterns, and several mosques and tombs. Ulugh Khan Jahan was a Sufi. In 1895, an extensive survey of the area was conducted by the Archaeological Survey of British India, and restoration was put into effect in 1903–04 on the Sixty Dome Mosque. In 1907-8 part of the roof and 28 domes were restored. In 1983, UNESCO drew up a master plan for the Bagerhat area and it became

2320-630: The Golconda Fort , tombs of the Qutb Shahis , Charminar , Char Kaman and Taramati Baradari . The Bengal Sultanate (1352–1576) normally used brick as the primary construction material of large buildings, as pre-Islamic buildings had done. Stone had to be imported to most of Bengal , whereas clay for bricks is plentiful. But stone was used for columns and prominent details, usually re-used from Hindu or Buddhist temples. The early 15th century Eklakhi Mausoleum at Pandua, Malda or Adina,

2400-657: The Jama Mosque, Ahmedabad , which fell down in an earthquake in 1819 . This carving draws on the traditional skills of local stone-carvers, previously exercised on Hindu temples in the Māru-Gurjara and other local styles. Under the Gujarat Sultanate , independent between 1407 and 1543, Gujarat was a prosperous regional sultanate under the rule of the Muzaffarid dynasty , who built lavishly, particularly in

2480-1079: The Jamia Masjid , a large wooden congregational mosque that incorporates elements of Buddhist pagoda structure, as well as the wooden Khanqah-e-Moulah mosque. Also in Srinagar are the Aali Masjid and the Tomb of Zain-ul-Abidin. Two 14th-century wooden mosques in Gilgit-Baltistan are the Chaqchan Mosque in Khaplu (1370) and the Amburiq Mosque in Shigar . Both have stone-built cores with elaborately carved wooden exterior galleries, at Amburiq on two levels, in an adaptation of traditional local styles. The Mughal Empire , an Islamic empire that lasted in India from 1526 to 1857 left

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2560-643: The Malwa and Jaunpur sultanates has also left some significant buildings. The Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan broke away from the Tughlaqs in 1347, and ruled from Gulbarga , Karnataka and then Bidar until overrun by the Mughals in 1527. The main mosque (1367) in the large Kalaburagi Fort or citadel is unusual in having no courtyard. There are a total of 75 domes, all small and shallow and small except for

2640-475: The Osmania Arts College and Osmania Medical College , as well as palaces like Hyderabad House and Chowmahalla Palace . The so-called Indo-Saracenic architecture , beginning in the late 18th century, but mainly developing from the 1840s until independence a century later, was mostly designed by British or other European architects, and adopted Islamic or specifically Indian features, usually as

2720-525: The Shah Mir dynasty established a sultanate encompassing the region of Kashmir (consisting of modern-day Gilgit-Baltistan , Azad Kashmir , Jammu and Kashmir , Ladakh , and Aksai Chin ), allowing for the gradual Islamization of the region and the hybridization of Persianate culture and architecture with the indigenous Buddhist styles of Kashmir. In the capital at Srinagar in modern Indian-administered Kashmir, Sikandar Shah Mir (died 1413) constructed

2800-509: The Singar Mosque , and the Shankarpasha Shahi Masjid . Both capitals of the Bengal Sultanate, first Pandua or Adina , then from 1450 Gauda or Gaur , started to be abandoned soon after the conquest of the sultanate by the Mughals in 1576, leaving many grand buildings, mostly religious. The materials from secular buildings were recycled by builders in later periods. While minarets are conspicuously absent in most mosques,

2880-418: The fortress of Lahore (16th and 17th centuries) with the famous Alamgiri Gate , the colourful Wazir Khan Mosque , ( Lahore , 1634–1635) as well as numerous other mosques and mausoleums. The Shahjahan Mosque at Thatta , Sindh was built under, and probably largely by Shah Jahan , but strongly reflects Central Asian Islamic style, as the emperor had recently been campaigning near Samarkand . Singularly,

2960-497: The mihrab . Circular towers are provided in the four corners. The walls of the mosque support a large central dome which has eight smaller domes around it. This structure was also affected by sulphates. It has been since substantially restored. Close to this mosque are the Zinda Pir Mosque and mazar (tomb), which are in ruins. The Singar Mosque is across the road from the Sixty Dome Mosque on its southeastern side. It

3040-470: The 15th century, the Indo-Islamic style of Gujarat is especially notable for its inventive and elegant use of minarets . They are often in pairs flanking the main entrance, mostly rather thin and with elaborate carving at least at the lower levels. Some designs push out balconies at intervals up the shaft; the most extreme version of this was in the lost upper parts of the so-called "shaking minarets" at

3120-496: The 16th century capital of Gujarat Sultanate, documents the early Islamic and pre- Mughal city that has remained without any change. Indo-Islamic architecture style of Gujarat presages many of the architectural elements later found in Mughal architecture , including ornate mihrabs and minarets, jali (perforated screens carved in stone), and chattris (pavilions topped with cupolas ). By 1339, Shams-ud-din Shah Mir of

3200-650: The Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate , a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent. The types and forms of large buildings required by Muslim elites, with mosques and tombs much

3280-472: The Shait Gumbaz Mosque, where antiquaries collected from the area of the historical site are displayed providing knowledge on the history of Bagerhat. It has three exhibit galleries of antiquaries related to the "Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat", which include inscriptions, potteries, terracotta plaques and ornamental bricks. Pictures of important historic buildings of Bangladesh are also part of

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3360-634: The Sundarbans in southern Bengal during the 15th century. Ulugh Khan Jahan was a person of Turkic-origin. The title of Ulugh was common to rulers from the Turco-Persian tradition . The Bengal Sultanate attracted many immigrants from the Middle East and Central Asia , who brought with them ideas of Islamic architecture . Sufism was employed by Muslim missionaries to attract the local population. The high concentration of mosques suggests

3440-515: The banks of the moribund branch of the Bhairab River along a 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) stretch (in an east–west direction and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) width in north–south direction ), which was part of the Sundarbans mangrove forests. Today all monuments are set in the unspoilt environment of what is now farmlands, surrounded by palm trees. The Bengal Sultanate appointed Khan Jahan Ali , also known as Ulug Khan, as its governor in

3520-708: The capital, Ahmedabad . The sultanate commissioned mosques such as the Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad , Jama Masjid at Champaner , Jami Masjid at Khambhat , Qutbuddin Mosque , Rani Rupamati Mosque , Sarkhej Roza , Sidi Bashir Mosque , Kevada Mosque , Sidi Sayyed Mosque , Nagina Mosque and Pattharwali Masjid, as well as structures such as Teen Darwaza , Bhadra Fort and the Dada Harir Stepwell in Ahmedabad. The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park ,

3600-555: The city the Ashtur tombs are a group of eight large domed royal tombs. These have domes which are slightly pulled in at the base, predating the onion domes of Mughal architecture. The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Hyderabad , not absorbed by the Mughals until 1687, greatly developed the city and its surrounding region, building many mosques such as the Mecca Masjid , Khairtabad Mosque , Hayat Bakshi Mosque and Toli Mosque, as well as

3680-487: The construction of Mughal-style architecture in the princely states . Indo-Islamic architecture has left a large impact on modern Indian , Pakistani and Bangladeshi architecture , as in the case of its influence on the Indo-Saracenic Revivalism of the late British Raj . Both secular and religious buildings are influenced by Indo-Islamic architecture. The best-preserved example of a mosque from

3760-559: The corners, and decoration in carved terracotta brick. These features are also seen in the Choto Sona Mosque (around 1500), which is in stone, unusually for Bengal, but shares the style and mixes domes and a curving "paddy" roof based on village house roofs made of vegetable thatch. Such roofs feature even more strongly in later Bengal Hindu temple architecture , with types such as the do-chala , jor-bangla , and char-chala . For larger mosques, Bengali architects multiplied

3840-648: The days of the infancy of Islam in South Asia is the ruined mosque at Banbhore in Sindh , Pakistan, from the year 727, from which only the plan can be deduced. The start of the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 under Qutb ud-Din Aibak introduced a large Islamic state to India, using Central Asian styles. The important Qutb Complex in Delhi was begun under Muhammad of Ghor , by 1199, and continued under Qutb al-Din Aibak and later sultans. The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque , now

3920-406: The domes. The west wall in the interior has eleven mihrabs that are decorated with stonework and terracotta and the flooring is brickwork. The walls and the mihrabs were affected by sulphates. Most of the damage has been rectified. The arches are 6 feet (1.8 m) thick with a slight taper over the hollow and round walls. The mosque also functioned as the court of Khan Jahan Ali. It now attracts

4000-649: The east and one each on the northern and southern sides also. It has three mihrabs with the central mihrab being the largest in size and projecting outwards. It has a hemispherical dome with frontal arches. There are also squinches and half domes. It is distinctly different from the Khan Jahan style mosque in its exterior decorations, particularly the east façade, which depicts four rectangular panels bordered by foliated scrolls with merlons having plant motifs. It has four turrets with curved cornices. The brick walls, in particular, were damaged due to sulphate effect. It

4080-509: The exhibits here. Indo-Islamic architecture#Bengal Sultanate Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh , the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding

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4160-412: The external cornice has a slight curve. The mosque's interior is plain. However, the main mihrabs have decorations of floral patterns. It is located on the opposite side of the Khan Jahan Tomb on the Khulna-Bagerhat Road. It was built in the Khan Jahan style of architecture. It has been renovated many times in the past during the 1960s and 70s. However, it needs further repair work to prevent dampness inside

4240-478: The first time in India. By around 1300 true domes and arches with voussoirs were being built; the ruined Tomb of Balban (d. 1287) in Delhi may be the earliest survival. The Alai Darwaza gatehouse at the Qutb complex, from 1311, still shows a cautious approach to the new technology, with very thick walls and a shallow dome, only visible from a certain distance or height. Bold contrasting colours of masonry, with red sandstone and white marble , introduce what

4320-449: The founder of the dynasty, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (d. 1325) is more austere, but impressive; like a Hindu temple, it is topped with a small amalaka and a round finial like a kalasha . Unlike the buildings mentioned previously, it completely lacks carved texts, and sits in a compound with high walls and battlements. Both these tombs have external walls sloping slightly inwards, by 25° in the Delhi tomb, like many fortifications including

4400-425: The historic city, indicates that the city developed in two distinct zones; the main zone is the Mosque of Shait Gumbaz and its precincts and the other zone to its east is the one encircling the Mausoleum of Khan Jahan. The two zones are separated by a distance of 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi). The following includes a partial list of mosques, tombs or mausoleums, and other monuments which have been restored from among

4480-427: The innumerable Chaukhandi tombs are of eastern influence. Although constructed between 16th and 18th centuries, they do not possess any similarity to Mughal architecture. The stonemason works show rather typical Sindhi workmanship, probably from before Islamic times. Later Mughal architecture, built under Aurangzeb (ruled 1658–1707), include the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore and Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad . By

4560-561: The large number of ruins in the city. The Sixty Dome Mosque, on the eastern bank of a water tank or pond (the Ghora Dighi ), is one of the oldest mosques in the country and is described as a "historic mosque representing the Golden Era of Muslim Bengal". The mosque has an oblong plan of 148'6" x 101'4" externally and 123'3" x 76'2" internally. The mosque is unique in that it has 60 pillars that support 77 exquisitely curved "low squat domes" that have worn away over time; it has seven central domes that are four-sided and built in Bengali style. It

4640-536: The late 18th century the style was effectively over. However, by this time versions of Mughal style, often called "post-Mughal", had been widely adopted by the rulers of the princely states and other wealthy people of all religions for their palaces and, where appropriate, tombs. Hindu patrons often mixed aspects of Hindu temple architecture and traditional Hindu palace architecture with Mughal elements and, later, European ones. Major examples of Mughal architecture include: The best known example of Mughal architecture

4720-421: The late Lodi dynasty. The architecture of other regional Muslim states was often more impressive. Significant regional styles developed in the independent sultanates formed when the Tughlaq empire weakened in the mid-14th century, and lasted until most were absorbed into the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. The sultanates of the Deccan Plateau, Gujarat, Bengal and Kashmir are discussed below. The architecture of

4800-452: The main mosque where they exist. The Tomb of Iltutmish was added by 1236; its dome, the squinches again corbelled, is now missing, and the intricate carving has been described as having an "angular harshness", from carvers working in an unfamiliar tradition. Other elements were added to the complex over the next two centuries. Another very early mosque, begun in the 1190s, is the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra in Ajmer , Rajasthan , built for

4880-484: The mosque is said to have been Persian. Some later Bahminid royal tombs are double, with two units of the usual rectangle-with-dome form combined, one for the ruler and the other for his family, as at the Haft Dombad ("Seven Domes") group of royal tombs outside Gulbarga. The Mahmud Gawan Madrasa (begun 1460s) is a large ruined madrasa "of wholly Iranian design" in Bidar founded by a chief minister, with parts decorated in glazed tiles imported by sea from Iran. Outside

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4960-496: The most common, were very different from those previously built in India. The exteriors of both were very often topped by large domes , and made extensive use of arches . Both of these features were hardly used in Hindu temple architecture and other indigenous Indian styles. Both types of building essentially consist of a single large space under a high dome, and completely avoid the figurative sculpture so important to Hindu temple architecture. Islamic buildings initially adapted

5040-500: The nine-domed mosque, which allowed a large area to be covered, was more popular there than anywhere else. After the Islamic consolidation of Bengal was complete, some local features continued, especially in smaller buildings, but the Mughals used their usual style in imperial commissions. The distinctive Indo-Islamic architecture style of Gujarat drew micro-architectural elements from earlier Maru-Gurjara architecture and employed them in mihrab , roofs, doors, minarets and facades. In

5120-429: The numbers of domes, with a nine-domed formula (three rows of three) being one option, surviving in four examples, all 15th or 16th century and now in Bangladesh, although there were others with larger numbers of domes. Buildings in the style are the Nine Dome Mosque and the Sixty Dome Mosque (completed 1459) and several other buildings in the Mosque City of Bagerhat , an abandoned city in Bangladesh now featured as

5200-478: The rapidity with which the local population converted to Islam. According to sultanate taka , it was built in the 15th century and was known by the name of Khalifatabad during the 16th century. Ulugh Khan Jahan administered an area covering parts of present-day Khulna Division and Barisal Division in Bangladesh. Inscriptions in Bagerhat indicate that the mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah between 1450 and 1459. Interestingly, Mahmud Shah

5280-420: The roof and four smaller ones at the four corners are towers (the towers were used to call the faithfuls to attend prayers). The large prayer hall has 11 arched doorways on the east and 7 each on the north and south which provide ventilation and light to the hall. There are 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays in the midst of slim columns made of stone. These columns support the curving arches that are overlaid by

5360-476: The ruined Tughlaqabad Fort opposite the tomb, intended as the new capital. The Tughlaqs had a corps of government architects and builders, and in this and other roles employed many Hindus. They left many buildings, and a standardized dynastic style. The third sultan, Firuz Shah (r. 1351–88) is said to have designed buildings himself, and was the longest ruler and greatest builder of the dynasty. His Firoz Shah Palace Complex (started 1354) at Hisar , Haryana

5440-442: The same Delhi rulers, again with corbelled arches and domes. Here Hindu temple columns (and possibly some new ones) are piled up in threes to achieve extra height. Both mosques had large detached screens with pointed corbelled arches added in front of them, probably under Iltutmish a couple of decades later. In these the central arch is taller, in imitation of an iwan . At Ajmer the smaller screen arches are tentatively cusped , for

5520-458: The site in 1975. In 1984, archaeologist Johanna E. van Lohuizen de Leeuw wrote that the building had been partly restored, but "its corner towers are still in a shocking state". The Mosque City of Bagerhat, of which Singair Mosque is a part, was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. The mosque was rated as being in a "fair state of preservation" in the 2010s. The mosque is a square of 43'9" x 43'9" externally while internally it has

5600-452: The skills of a workforce trained in earlier Indian traditions to their own designs. Unlike most of the Islamic world , where brick tended to predominate, India had highly skilled builders well used to producing stone masonry of extremely high quality. Alongside the architecture developed in Delhi and prominent centres of Mughal culture such as Agra , Lahore and Allahabad , a variety of regional styles developed in regional kingdoms like

5680-476: The tomb, and also to the brickwork on the exterior surfaces. The Chuna Khola Mosque, built in the 15th century, is located in the midst of rice fields in the village of Chuna Khola (named after the limestone extraction that was in vogue here in the past). It has been identified as representing a transition from the Khan Jahan style monuments. It is a 7.7 metres (25 ft) square building with 2.24 metres (7 ft 4 in) thick walls. It has three entrances on

5760-416: The use of a high plinth , and often mouldings around its edges, as well as columns and brackets and hypostyle halls. After the death of Firoz the Tughlaqs declined, and the following Delhi dynasties were weak. Most of the monumental buildings constructed were tombs, although the impressive Lodi Gardens in Delhi (adorned with fountains, charbagh gardens, ponds, tombs and mosques) were constructed by

5840-555: Was a " mint town" of the Bengal Sultanate. Bagerhat has one of the largest concentrations of sultanate-era mosques in Bangladesh. The historic city has more than 50 structures built in the local Bengal Sultanate variant style of Indo-Islamic architecture . This is sometimes called the 'Khan Jahan Style'. These were uncovered after removing the vegetation that had obscured them from view for many centuries. The site has been recognised by UNESCO in 1983 under criteria (iv), "as an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble which illustrates

5920-401: Was also responsible for transferring Bengal's capital from Pandua to Gauda. The reign of Mahmud Shah was marked by significant architectural development. In south Bengal, the mosque city of Bagerhat displays the simplistic 'Khan Jahan Style' of Bengali Islamic architecture. Ulugh Khan Jahan was responsible for establishing a planned township with roads, bridges, and water supply tanks (of which

6000-410: Was baked bricks, which over the centuries deteriorated under saline conditions of the soil and the atmosphere. The mosques have round towers projecting at the four corners; sometimes these extend some way above the main roofline to make minarets at the front corners of the mosque. These are very short by normal standards. The layout, revealed after the recent removal of the vegetative growth around

6080-541: Was built during the zenith of the Mughal Empire under Shah Jahan . It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. As one of the largest forts in India, it served as the official residence of the emperor for nearly 200 years. Following the collapse of the Mughal Empire after the Mughal-Maratha Wars, the emergence of the Sikh Empire and the invasions of Nader Shah , Ahmad Shah Durrani and

6160-412: Was established in 1440 by Khan Jahan Ali. The minarets are double storied and round in shape; projecting cornices surround the shafts up to the middle height of the minarets and a window fitted at this mid height provides ventilation and light. A spiral staircase in this minar leads to the top. It was used for prayers, as an assembly hall and madrasa (an Islamic school). Seventy seven domes are over

6240-598: Was preserved here. It is now pilgrimage site where people pay homage to the man who dedicated his lifetime to building the city and its monuments. The Pir Ali Tomb (of Pir Ali, a close associate of Khan Jahan) is an annexe building to this mausoleum and is of identical layout. A mosque called the Dargha Mosque is attached to the mausoleum. A small museum has been established by the Directorate of Archaeology of Bangladesh, in collaboration with UNESCO, in front of

6320-454: Was renovated in the 1980s according to guidelines set by UNESCO. The Khan Jahan Mausoleum or tomb is located on the northern bank of a water tank (a pond infested with crocodiles) called thakur dighi in Bengali language . The pond is square in shape and the excavated material from the tank was used to make an embankment over which the Mausoleum has been built. The pond is approached through

6400-641: Was to become a common feature of Indo-Islamic architecture, substituting for the polychrome tiles used in Persia and Central Asia. The pointed arches come together slightly at their base, giving a mild horseshoe arch effect, and their internal edges are not cusped but lined with conventionalized "spearhead" projections, possibly representing lotus buds. Jali , stone openwork screens, are introduced here; they already had been long used in temples. The tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (built 1320 to 1324) in Multan , Pakistan

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