Nawab Bari Mosque an imposing edifice:Daily Sun

sun Photo Historic Nawab Bari Mosque in Dilkusha is a religious structure of splendid beauty, bearing the testimony of lavish expenditure and affluence of the Islamic culture to stand the test of time. Surrounded by a beautiful garden, the mosque of an architectural marvel is situated at Dilkusha, close to RAJUK Bhaban, on an area of 6,000 square feet. The heritage site adds solemnity to the sober
ambience all around and draws hundreds of visitors to marvel at its architectural exclusivity. There is no clear inscription of the centuries-old mosque. Historians say the mosque was built during the reign of the fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir, also third son of Emperor Akbar. “Although nobody knows the exact date of building the edifice, but it’s believed that the mosque was built during the rule of Emperor Jahangir between the years 1605 to 1627. Later, this mosque had been supervised by the Nawab family, said Maulana Mohammad Osman Gani, imam of the mosque. He revealed that the mosque got its present name, Nawab Bari Mosque, thanks to the Nawab family’s custody of the famous mosque. The three beautifully finished domes and the minaret is still magnetising the devotees to pray five times a day just as they did in the past. The prayer chamber was roofed with three domes, the central one being taller and larger than the two others which are full of interior design. The domes are rising on octagonal drums decorated with blind merlons. Hafez Md Abul Bashar, the muezzin, said this mosque had gone through several refurbishments. “Maintaining its original shape, the mosque was renovated for several times. To accommodate the devotees, an additional prayer room was built along with the original one.” Several changes were made since its inception, but the distinguishing change was made during the tenure of Gen HM Ershad, he told daily sun. Although the mosque is under the architecture department of the government, Bashar said, all expenses of the mosque are being provided by the Nawab estate. People from different parts of the country and foreign tourists visit the mosque to have a glimpse of the architectural beauty and capture its image, he added. To the north side of the mosque locates the tomb of Sufi Shah Neyamat Ullah. Droves of people come to visit here daily. The graveyard of the Nawab family also lies here. The tombs belong to Nawabzadi Ahamadi Banu, Nawabzadi Meher Banu, Khan Bahadur Khwaja Mohammad Azam, Khwaja Akhter, Al-Hajj Khwaja Ahmed, Khwaja Masood Nasrullah, Begum Jahanara Banu (wife of Khwaja Masood Nasrullah), Nawabzada Khwaja Nasrullah (son of Nawab Sir Salimullah), Khwaja Khalid Nasrullah (son of Khwaja Nasrullah), Wahid Buksh Kadri and Khwaja Mohammad Arin.