Loading...The Dhanbari Nawab Shahi Jame Masjid, also known as the Dhanbari Mosque, is located in Dhanbari Upazila and Municipality of Tangail district. This mosque, a testament to ancient architectural art, stands proudly as a symbol of Islamic heritage and history. It is one of the key historical architectural landmarks in Dhanbari Upazila.
In the 16th century, two brothers from the Seljuk Turkish dynasty, Espinjar Khan and Monowar Khan, built the first portion of this mosque, a one-room structure. According to local legends, during Emperor Akbar’s reign, after defeating the tyrannical landlord of Dhanbari, these two brothers took charge of the region and built this mosque.
One of Dhanbari’s notable figures, Nawab Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury, the first Chief Minister of United Bengal and a founding member of Dhaka University, expanded and modernized the mosque about 115 years ago.
The interior walls of the mosque are adorned with intricate carvings of vines and flowers, as well as colorful mosaics, showcasing the rich architecture of the time. The outer walls are decorated with cement and carved Kori stone designs.
Covering an area of around 10 kathas of land, the mosque was originally rectangular in shape. Its length was 13.72 meters (45 feet) and width 4.57 meters (15 feet). After renovation, the mosque was transformed into a square structure, which differs from the typical three-domed Mughal-style mosques. Despite losing some of its ancient features, the mosque’s beauty and splendor were significantly enhanced during the renovation.
The mosque features five entrances: three on the east side with beautifully arch-shaped openings, and one each on the north and south sides. It has 4 entrance doors and 9 windows. The mosque is crowned with 34 small and large domes. The 10 tallest minarets stand about 30 feet high, and the two-story minaret rises around 15 feet. The mosque’s Mihrab (the space where the Imam leads prayers) is an eye-catching structure, measuring 5 feet in height and 3 feet in width.
A distinctive feature of the mosque is its 30-foot high minarets, each topped with 10 copper moons that enhance the overall beauty of the mosque.
The mosque’s preserved room displays 18 oil lamps, which were used for lighting during the Mughal era, as well as 3 chandeliers that were also used during that time.
In the construction of the mosque, materials such as lime, surki (a kind of brick powder), white cement, Kori stone, and iron were used. Next to the mosque is a paved ghat and a cemetery, where Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury is buried.
Adjacent to the mosque is a large pond, covering 7 bighas of land, with the Dhanbari Nawab Manzil located on the other side of the pond. Before his death, Nawab Nawab Ali dedicated his estate as waqf, and the mosque and nearby madrasa, Eidgah, and other properties have been managed from the waqf funds.
This ancient mosque has provisions for 200 worshippers to offer prayers together. As a witness to the devotion of past generations and a symbol of Islamic tradition, the Dhanbari Nawab Shahi Masjid is an important and historic Islamic landmark.
How to Get There
There is a direct bus service from Mohakhali Bus Stand in Dhaka to Dhanbari. The fare ranges from 150 to 200 Taka on services such as Binimoy, Mahanagar, or Shubhechha buses.
The mosque is quite close to the Dhanbari Bus Stand, and you can either walk or take a rickshaw. It takes around 5 to 7 minutes on foot from the bus stand to the Dhanbari Nawab Shahi Jame Masjid.
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