Description of the attraction
The historic city of mosques Bagerhat is an example of medieval architecture and is located in the southwestern part of the current Bagerhat district at the junction of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.
The ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatbad, flourished in the 15th century. The area of the city is 50 sq. Km. It is home to most of the most iconic buildings dating back to the early days of Muslim architecture in Bengal - 360 mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, roads, water tanks and other public buildings made of baked bricks.
This ancient city, created over several years and swallowed up by the jungle after the death of its founder in 1459, is striking in its unusualness. The density of Islamic religious monuments is due to the piety of Khan Jahan, as evidenced by the engraved inscription on his grave. The lack of fortifications is explained by the possibility of retreating into the impenetrable mangrove swamps of Sunderbans. The quality of the infrastructure - water supply and drainage, cisterns and reservoirs, roads and bridges - all show an excellent command of planning and spatial organization.
The monuments, which were partially destroyed by vegetation, are located at a distance of 6.5 km from each other: in the West, around the Shait-Gumbad mosque, and in the East, around the mausoleum of Khan Jahan.
Shait Gumbad is one of the largest mosques and is the only example of a traditional orthodox mosque plan in all of Bengal. The second important monument, the grave of Khan Jahan, is an extraordinary example of this type of architecture.
The unique architectural style of the city was named Khan-e-Jahan. In the center of Bagerhat, not only mosques have been preserved, but also residential buildings, roads, ancient ponds, tombs, and a necropolis. The country's leadership carefully guards and takes measures to prevent destruction, unauthorized activities and development of the unique complex.
In order to preserve the authenticity of the monuments, initial materials are used for conservation and restoration. However, some of the original features - stone columns inside the mosque, mesh windows, a pediment, the upper strip of the cornice - have been lost. Some buildings for religious and secular purposes are still used for their intended purpose. UNESCO has developed and funded a variety of projects to preserve the historic mosque city of Bagerhat since 1973.
