Bajra Shahi Mosque

{{Short description|Mosque in Bazra, Sonaimuri, Noakhali District, Bangladesh}}

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Bajra Shahi Mosque

| native_name = বজরা শাহী মসজিদ

| native_name_lang = bn

| map_type = Bangladesh

| map_size = 250px

| map_alt =

| map_relief = yes

| map_caption = Location of the mosque in Bangladesh

| image = Noakhali BojraShahi MG 3908.jpg

| image_upright = 1.4

| caption = The gateway in the outer wall,
decorated with mosaics

| location = Bazra, Sonaimuri, Noakhali District, Chittagong Division

| country = Bangladesh

| coordinates = {{Coord|23.0040|N|91.0931|E|region:BD_type:landmark|display=it|format=dms}}

| religious_affiliation = Islam

| status = Mosque

| functional_status = Active

| architecture_type = {{nowrap|Mosque architecture}}

| minaret_quantity = Four

| dome_quantity = Three

| administration = Department of Archaeology

}}

The Bajra Shahi Mosque ({{langx|bn|বজরা শাহী মসজিদ|Bojra Shahi Mosjid}}, {{langx|ar|شاهي مسجد بجرا}}) is an 18th-century mosque located in the Bazra Union under Sonaimuri Upazila of Noakhali District, in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. It was described as the "most notable historical monument" in the area around Maijdee.{{cite book |last1=Newton |first1=Alex |last2=Wagenhauser |first2=Betsy |last3=Murray |first3=Jon |year=1996 |title=Bangladesh: A Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit |publisher=Lonely Planet Publications |page=247 |isbn=978-0-86442-296-5}}

Location

The mosque is located in a rural setting {{convert|20|km}} north of Noakhali, at the village of Bazra. The site is enclosed by an outer wall with an ornate gateway on the east, the whole situated on high ground on the western side of a dighi or reservoir.{{cite book |last=Bari |first=MA |year=2012 |chapter=Bajra Shahi Mosque |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bajra_Shahi_Mosque |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}{{cite news |script-title=bn:মোগল নিদর্শন নোয়াখালীর বজরা শাহী মসজিদ |trans-title=Mughal patterns Noakhali's Bajra Shahi Mosque |url=http://www.dailysangram.com/post/102687-মোগল-নিদর্শন-নোয়াখালীর-বজরা-শাহী-মসজিদ |newspaper=The Daily Sangram |language=bn |date=1 December 2012 |access-date=26 June 2017}}

History

The mosque was built by Aman Ullah in 1741-42 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. Between 1911 and 1928, Bazra zamindars Khan Bahadur Ali Ahmad and Khan Bahadur Mujir Uddin Ahmad had it extensively repaired and decorated with mosaics made from colored shards of ceramic. It is in a fairly good state of preservation, and is on the Bangladeshi Department of Archaeology list of protected sites.{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.gov.bd/site/page/696eb64e-5161-4c2a-8271-f6c3b0ed2245/বজরা-শাহী-মসজিদ,-নোয়াখালী |script-title=bn:বজরা শাহী মসজিদ, নোয়াখালী |trans-title=Bajra Shahi Mosque, Noakhali |language=bn |website=Department of Archaeology (Bangladesh)}}{{cite news |script-title=bn:নোয়াখালীর ২৭৬ বছরের পুরনো বজরা শাহী মসজিদ |trans-title=Noakhali's 276-year old Bajra Shahi Mosque |url=https://www.jagonews24.com/religion/news/239848/%25E0%25A6%25A8%25E0%25A7%258B%25E0%25A7%259F%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%2596%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B2%25E0%25A7%2580%25E0%25A6%25B0-%25E0%25A7%25A8%25E0%25A7%25AD%25E0%25A7%25AC-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%259B%25E0%25A6%25B0%25E0%25A7%2587%25E0%25A6%25B0-%25E0%25A6%25AA%25E0%25A7%2581%25E0%25A6%25B0%25E0%25A6%25A8%25E0%25A7%258B-%25E0%25A6%25AC%25E0%25A6%259C%25E0%25A6%25B0%25E0%25A6%25BE-%25E0%25A6%25B6%25E0%25A6%25BE%25E0%25A6%25B9%25E0%25A7%2580-%25E0%25A6%25AE%25E0%25A6%25B8%25E0%25A6%259C%25E0%25A6%25BF%25E0%25A6%25A6 |newspaper=Jago News 24 |language=bn |date=27 March 2017 |access-date=26 June 2017}}

Architecture

The mosque is rectangular in plan. It has three domes, the middle one larger than those on either side, and octagonal towers at the four corners. The eastern facade has three doorways, the central one larger than the others, each projecting from the facade, opening under a half-domed vault, and flanked by slender minarets. The north and south sides each has a similar doorway.

The interior is divided into three bays by two multi-cusped arches.