The Sat Gambuj Mosque in Dhaka

The Sat Gambuj Mosque

The shat gambuj mosque is famous for its historical importance as well as its spectacular beauty. The Sat Gambuj Mosque (Bengali: সাত গম্বুজ মসজিদ, lit. ‘Seven Domed Mosque’) is near the northwestern outskirts of Dhaka in the Jafarbad area. It is a fine example of the provincial Mughal style of architecture introduced in Bangladesh in the 17th century. The mosque’s most notable features are its seven bulbous domes crowning the roof and covering the main prayer hall. Probably erected by Governor Shaista Khan, the monument stands in a romantic setting on a buttressed 15-foot-high bank overlooking an extensive flood plain.

The place where the seven-domed mosque is was known as Sarai Jafarbad or Katasur, under Sarai Begumpur. There was a small agricultural community in between Pilkhana and Jafarbad where the Sat Gambuj Mosque was built. The area became like a jungle due to disuse, dereliction, and desertion mainly during the British period. However, in the last 55 years, it has become one of the most planned and most expensive residential enclaves of Dhaka. The Sat Masjid Road is the major peripheral road of the district to its west and is believed to have been built roughly along where the old Bank river Turag was.