Shat Gombuj Mosque: Medieval Muslim Shrine in Bagerhat

Shat Gombuj Mosque or the mosque(shrine) of Sixty Dome is in Bagerhat District, Khulna Division, Bangladesh. It is one of the most famous heritage Muslim sites in Bangladesh. The architect was Khan Jahan Ali.

About Shat Gombuj Mosque

Khan Jahan Ali established the mosque in the year 1459. It is one of the oldest mosques in the region. UNESCO recognized this site as a world heritage. It is the most impressive Muslim structure in the Indian subcontinent. The mosque has 60 pillars that support 77 square sized domes. There are four towers in the four sides of the mosque.

The mosque is about 160 feet tall. The width of the mosque is about 104 feet. The walls are around 8.5 feet wide. There are 11 doors in the eastern wall of the mosque. The middle door is the largest of all the doors. Although people call it the 60 dome mosque the actual number of the domes is 77. The site is important in the context of the history of the region. It bears the symbol of archaeological capabilities of our ancestors.

History of Shat Gombuj Mosque

In mid-15th century, a Muslim colony was founded in the unfriendly mangrove forest of the Sundarbans near the coastline in the Bagerhat district by an obscure saint-General, named Ulugh Khan Jahan. He was the earliest torch bearer of Islam in the South who laid the center of an affluent city during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1442-59), then known as 'Khalifalabad' (present Bagerhat). Khan Jahan aborned his city with numerous mosques, tanks, roads and other public buildings, the spectacular ruins of which are focused around the most imposing and largest multidomed mosques in Bangladesh, known as the Shait-Gumbad Masjid (160'X108'). The stately fabric of the monument, serene and impressive, stands on the eastern bank of an unusually vast sweet-water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of a low-laying countryside, characteristic of a sea-coast landscape. So in the year 1459 the great Azam Ulugh Khan Jahan established this mosque, which called Shat Gambuj Mosjid. In Bengali Shat means the number 60. Though it is called Shat Gambuj Mosjid, actually the numbers of Gamboj in the mosque are 81. The mosque roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 chauchala or four-sided pitched Bengali domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall, although provided with 11 arched doorways on east and 7 each on north and south for ventilation and light, presents a dark and somber appearance inside. It is divided into 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stone columns, from which springs rows of endless arches, supporting the domes. Six feet thick, slightly tapering walls and hollow and round, almost detached corner towers, resembling the bastions of fortress, each capped by small rounded cupolas, recall the Tughlaq architecture of Delhi. 

The general appearance of this noble monument with its stark simplicity but massive character reflects the strength and simplicity of the builder. This mosque is 160 ft long and 108 ft. in its width. This is one of the most beautiful archeological and historical Mosque in Bangladesh made by red burn mud. 

The archeological beauty of this Mosque enchants the tourist till now. Besides this Mosque an archeological museum is there where you can find that times archeological and historical materials.

How to Go Shat Gombuj Mosque

The site is about 280 kilometers away from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. It will take you 6 hours and 30 minutes to reach the site. It is 264 kilometers away from Saidabad Bus Station. You may need 7 hours to reach the site from Saidabad. The distance of the site from Gabtoli Bus Stand is about 249 kilometers. It may take 6 hours and 20 minutes to reach the Shat Gombuj Mosque.

Address of the Site

The mosque is located at Bagerhat-Khulna road. The zip code is Bagerhat-9300. It is a public heritage site. You may visit the site any time of the day.

Hotel and Accommodation

You will have to search for accommodation in the Bagerhat central town. You may consider Hotel Al-Amin and Hotel Momtaj. The housing facilities are cheap.

Nearby Tourist Spots

Nearby tourist attractions include Ayodhya Temple, Ghora Dighi, Hiron Point, Dadhara Mahal, Mongla Sea Port, and Sona Mosque.
It is a great archaeological structure in Bangladesh. The government is taking necessary steps to save the cultural heritage of Bangladesh along with UNESCO. 


More Photos of Shat Gambuj Mosque