Muazzampur Shahi Mosque

Muazzampur Shahi Mosque is situated at village Muazzampur (Mahjampur) in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj district. It stands near the market place within an enclosed courtyard along with the tomb of Shah Langar (Shah Alam Shah) to its south. The mosque was built in between 1432 and 1436 AD (836-839 AH) during the reign of Shamsuddin Ahmad Shah.

It is a rectangular building measuring 9.57 x 8.05 meter in the interior and 12.97 x 9.30 meter in the exterior with two engaged octagonal corner towers on the front side. There are three entrances on the east, and smaller entrances on the north and south sides. The central mihrab projecting outside the western wall still bears some terracota decoration. The back of the western wall of the mosque displays exquisite surface decoration with curved bricks containing excellent indigenous motifs. A portion of that wall is decorated by panel flanked by decorated columns, and containing a cusped arch with hanging chain and pendant motif. A rectangular panel exists below the pendant having two wavy twigs. This is a rare example of ornamental twigs.

Two octagonal stone pillars divide the interior of the mosque into two bays and three aisles, which are covered by six domes carried on pendentives. Of the six engaged stone pilasters on the walls, two each belongs to the east and west, and one each to the north and south walls. Of the three semi-circular mihrabs, the central one is larger and curved out of black stone with trefoil cusps. Such a cusped stone arch of the mihrab is also noticed in fath shah’s mosque (1484) at Mograpara and the dewanbagh mosque (c 16th century). The side mihrabs are now being used as closets.

The mosque has been renovated, and extended in the east by a veranda and a newly built minar on the northeastern side. It is presently being used as a jami mosque. [Muazzam Hussain Khan]