Goaldi Mosque, Sonargaon, Bangladesh

 Goaldi Mosque, Sonargaon, Bangladesh

South Elevation 

Built by Mulla Hizabar Akbar Khan, the mosque is located half a mile northeast of Painam village. The Goaldi mosque is a good example of the 'enclosed square type' mosque of Bengal that is distinguished by a cubical prayer chamber with corner towers and entrances on all sides except the qibla wall.

 View from southwest

A single dome caps the mosque; engaged ribbed turrets define the four corners; and the cornice is gently sloped. Circular corner towers are a deviation from the usual octagonal corner towers. This is the only example of circular corner towers in the Dhaka district. Accentuating the cornice is a row of small niches with floral motifs inside.

Detail of engaged column of west elevation (qibla wall)

The east facade has three arched openings, embellished on either sides with rectangular panels of delicate relief work in the form of a niche with an ornamental hanging lamp motif. The north and south facades similarly display three arches, though only the center arch is open while the two side arches are blind.

 Doorway of north elevation

The cubical prayer chamber measures 7.57 m and the walls are 2 m thick. The dome is carried on squinches that spring from the tops of stone pilasters, two on each wall. The qibla wall has three mihrabs. The use of black basalt for the central mihrab was a common practice during the sixteenth century.

 Terra cotta panel with ornamental hanging lamp motif

It is decorated with beautiful, intricate patterns composed of an ornamental hanging lamp motif. The two flanking mihrabs are decorated in similar fashion but instead of black basalt they are made of brick and fine terra cotta work.

 Cornice detail of west elevation (qibla wall)

Lotus motifs are found carved in the spandrels and are closely related to the lotuses held by the Hindu god, Surya.

 Circular corner tower

The condition of mosque had deteriorated: with the exception of the qibla wall the entire mosque had collapsed, including the dome. Careful restoration was executed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and this small graceful mosque is now restored to resemble its original design.

 Detail of base of corner tower