Hammadya Mosque

Hammadya Mosque located at village Masjidda under sitakunda upazila in chittagong, on the bank of a tank known as Hammadya Dighi. The mosque was built within a low enclosure with a dochala type gateway on the southern side. But during a later renovation the gateway was removed and replaced by a modern Mazina or Minar. The walls are now plastered with mortar and have coatings of whitewash.

The mosque is a single domed square (6.38m a side externally) structure with four engaged barrel shaped circular towers at the four outer corners. Each tower, 6m high with a projected base, has two embossed bands dividing it into three zones up to the parapet level, and is capped with a cupola above the parapet. The roof of the mosque is gently curved. On it is a big bulbous dome set on an octagon built with four squinches at the cardinal points.

On the east wall there are three arched doors and the northern and southern walls each has a window in the centre. Each door has two pointed stone arch-frame on the exterior and interior with a vault like depression in between. The windows on the northern and southern walls originally had terracotta screens, but have recently been replaced by iron grills. The windows are set in large niches, almost of the height of the central doorway.

There are three stone mihrabs on the qibla wall, each of which correspond to the three arched openings on the eastern side. The central mihrab, bigger than the side ones, has a projection outside. The cusped curve of the mihrab arch has six spearhead like embellishments. The decorations on the spandrel are encrusted with thick lime coats. The lintel is inscribed with kalima shahadat, and the vertical members of the frame bear verses from the quran. The outstanding feature in the alcove is a chain and bell motif with foliage around them. Over the lintel of the mihrab frame there is a big rosette at the centre point of the arch. The two side mihrabs are also set within decorated oblong frames.

There is a mutilated inscription above the central entrance, on the basis of which it is presumed that' the mosque was built during the reign of ghiyasuddin mahmud shah, the last Husain Shahi sultan of Bengal. [Shamsul Hossain]