5/5 Eleash 1 year ago on Google âĸ 130 reviews
Karatlab
Khan
Mosque
is
located
in
Begombazar
area
of
ââOld
Dhaka.
It
was
built
by
Dewan
Murshid
Quli
Khan
alias
Karatlab
Khan
in
1701-04
AD.
The
mosque
is
also
known
as
'Begombazar
Mosque'.
The
mosque
occupies
the
western
half
of
a
high
vaulted
platform
with
an
attached
nave.
In
front
of
the
platform
is
a
baab
or
bowli
(stepped
well).
39.62
m
north-south.
and
13.41
m
in
east-west.
The
northern
end
of
the
platform
is
arched.
The
arched
part
of
the
platform
is
cut
down
the
middle
to
make
room
for
a
tomb.
The
name
of
the
first
imam
of
the
mosque
is
engraved
on
the
sarcophagus.
A
series
of
square
and
rectangular
rooms
are
lined
up
below
the
platform.
Also
on
the
eastern
side
of
the
platform
is
an
archway
with
a
newly
built
staircase.
This
is
the
way
to
enter
the
mosque
built
on
the
platform.
A
relatively
large
bowli
was
built
probably
for
ablution.
The
water
level
is
reached
by
descending
a
series
of
steps
through
a
chamber.
There
is
a
system
for
extracting
water
from
outside.
The
main
mosque
and
its
attached
dochala
on
the
north
side
occupy
the
western
half
of
the
vaulted
high
square.
The
rest
was
previously
empty
but
now
has
a
paved
terrace.
The
entrance
has
five
archways
on
the
eastern
side.
Each
arch
is
covered
by
a
half-domed
roof.
There
is
a
narrow
octagonal
minaret
on
the
side.
which
rises
above
the
parapet.
There
is
a
door
each
in
the
middle
of
the
wall
on
both
the
north
and
south
sides.
The
interior
of
the
western
wall
has
five
semi-octagonal
mihrab
niches.
All
are
projected
on
the
facade,
with
small
turrets
on
the
sides.
Beside
the
central
mihrab
is
a
three-step
paved
mimbar.
Each
bay
is
covered
by
a
dome.
The
domes
are
placed
on
octagonal
drums.
Lotus
and
pitcher
adorned
the
top.
The
method
adopted
to
carry
the
weight
of
the
dome
is
similar
to
the
technique
used
in
Lalbagh
Durg
Mosque
and
Seven
Dome
Mosque
in
Dhaka.
Corner
towers
with
four
octagonal
urn
bases
at
the
four
corners
rise
above
the
horizontal
parapet.
The
corner
towers
are
newly
constructed
with
small
domes
covered
by
closed
canopies
and
pinnacles
decorated
with
lotuses
and
urns.
All
the
towers
are
flanked
by
narrow
minarets
on
both
the
right
and
left
sides,
which
rise
above
the
parapet
and
are
covered
by
small
domes
and
urn
finials.
The
rectangular
extension
on
the
north
side
of
the
mosque
is
covered
by
a
Bengali
dochala
hut
style
roof.
The
edges
of
which
are
very
curved
and
drooping.
The
extension
has
two
large
doors.
One
along
the
middle
of
the
east
wall,
currently
rebuilt
and
the
other
along
the
middle
of
the
south
wall.
The
main
mosque
is
connected
to
the
extension
through
this
latter
door.
A
window
has
been
placed
in
the
north
wall
of
the
recently
extended
section.
The
curved
roof
is
adorned
with
five
urn
finials
at
regular
intervals
on
the
outside.
Although
this
extension
is
thought
to
be
a
mausoleum,
it
was
probably
originally
built
for
the
Imam's
residence.
Because
it
is
still
being
used
for
this
purpose.
The
decoration
of
the
mosque
building
has
given
more
importance
to
its
architecture.
Especially
the
ornate
minarets
flanking
the
entrances,
projecting
mihrabs,
canopies,
small
domes
and
finials
adorned
with
lotuses
and
urns.
The
entrances
and
mihrabs
are
framed
and
topped
with
merlons.
The
parapet
and
dome
drum
also
have
elaborate
merlon
motifs.
The
interior
of
the
domes
is
foliated
and
their
apexes
are
decorated
with
a
rosette
between
large
medallions.
