Mosque and shrine, Chattogram
Anderkilla Shahi Jame Mosqueআন্দরকিল্লা শাহী জামে মসজিদ
- Time needed
- Half an hour.
The Mughal mosque of 1667 on the hill of the inner fort, built by Buzurg Umed Khan the year after his father Shaista Khan took Chattogram from the Arakanese; the city's main mosque, with a Persian inscription over the door.
At a glance
- Built
- 1667, by Buzurg Umed Khan
- Marks
- The Mughal conquest of Chattogram, 1666
- Returned to worship
- 1855, after use as a British magazine
About
Anderkilla means the inner fort: this hill was the citadel of the Arakanese who held Chattogram until 1666, when Shaista Khan's army under his son Buzurg Umed Khan drove them out. The Persian inscription on the mosque records that it was begun in 1667 on the conquered hill, the Mughal victory set in brick. It is a classic Mughal design, three domes and corner towers on a raised platform, and became the city's Jame mosque, the place of the big Friday and Eid congregations.
The British used it as a magazine for decades until it was returned to worship in 1855, and it has been extended many times since; the old core is wrapped in newer prayer halls and a tall minaret. The lanes around it, the Anderkilla bazar with its bookshops, bakeries and bela biscuits, are the oldest part of the city. Visit between prayers; non-Muslim visitors are welcome in the courtyard.
Getting there: Anderkilla is 10 minutes by CNG from the station; the mosque is on the hill above the bazar, below the court building.
Things to do
- Find the Persian inscription over the old doorway, then walk the Anderkilla bazar below.
Good to know
- Cover arms and legs, remove shoes, and avoid Friday midday unless you are coming to pray.
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