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| Chawkbazar Shahi Mosque | |
|---|---|
চকবাজার শাহী মসজিদ | |
 The mosque in 2020 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Chowk Bazaar,Dhaka |
| Country | Bangladesh |
  Location of the mosque inDhaka | |
| Coordinates | 23°42′58″N90°23′45″E / 23.7160°N 90.3957°E /23.7160; 90.3957 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Mughal |
| Groundbreaking | 1664 CE |
| Completed | 1086AH (1675/1676 CE) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | c. 10,000 worshipers |
| Dome | Three |
| Minaret | Ten |
TheChawkbazar Shahi Mosque (Bengali:চকবাজার শাহী মসজিদ) also known asChawk Mosque is amosque located in theChowk Bazaar area in theold city ofDhaka,Bangladesh.[1]
The mosque was constructed in 1664 byShaista Khan, theSubahdar ofMughal Bengal.[2] The mosque is known as the Shahi Mosque because it was founded by the Mughal governor or Subahdar. The mosque is built above a raised platform. The three domed mosque above the platform, now transformed into a multi-storied structure was originally a copy ofShaista Khan's another three domed mosque at theMitford Hospital compound near theBuriganga River. There are some square-shaped rooms built for the Imam and for students of the madrasa. Today the original building design has lost much of its original form through multiple renovations and extensions. The mosque is noted for having a rainbow minaret.
The promenade around the three domed prayer chamber, since there was no separate structure for study purpose, might have been used for open-air classes and the vaulted room with book-shelves on their walls underneath the platform may have been designed to provide residential accommodation for those who used to teach and study here. In that contextChawk Mosque may be regarded as the first known example of ResidentialMadrasa Mosque.
It is an ingenious[peacock prose] way of accommodating two structures-a madrasa and a mosque in a single building which not only saved space but also a considerable amount of money.[2]
The construction has been dated from 1664CE, as noted by an inscription inPersian over a doorway. The inscription attributes the project to SubahdarShaista Khan. So far known this is the earliest dated mosque in the History of Muslim Architecture in Bengal built on a high vaulted platform. Its architectural design was perhaps influenced byTughlaq Architectures; such asKhirki Masjid orKalan Mosque ofDelhi. Influenced by this structure some other mosques were built inDhaka andMurshidabad.
It has been suggested that Shaista Khan himself had composed the versified inscription, as his poetic nom de plume was "Talib". The inscription reads:[3]
"The rightly guided Amīr al-Umarā Shaista Khan - built this mosque for the sake of God / To the seeker (t̤ālib) enquiring its date - I said, "God's bidding is accomplished" / Year 1086 Hijri (1675-76 CE)."
