Bibi Maryam Masjid

In principle there are two major assumptions by the historians on the person who sanctioned the Masjid construction and history of its evolution. With respect to the first assumption one concerned source suggests that Nawab Shaista Khan, the Mughal Subahdar of Bengal who was active between 1664 to 1688 built it in a fortified complex in the early 1680s. Nawab Shaista Khan is presumed to be Bibi Maryam's father by this source who named it as token of affection for her daughter after her premature demise and enshrined her in the complex. Meanwhile the other piece of assumption advocates that Bibi Maryam was actually wife of IshaKha Masnad-E-Ala who built both the masjid and the Shrine in the aftermath of her death. The former opinion is much more concrete than the latter since the masjid architecture is absolutely that of Mughal style. It is also justified by the historians who have examined the used building materials and applied construction techniques to learn that both were exercised during the age of Nawab Shaista Khan's existence. However this masjid has been acknowledged as one of the prominent surviving Mughal buildings in Bangladesh despite its limited accommodation. According to the present masjid authority during its construction only members of both Nawab Shaista Khan's family and administration formed the Muslim population of the present day Killarpur area it is situated in. Even as late as the 1950s Hindus almost monopolized the area population where hardly ten people would appear for the congregational prayer in stark contrast to the daily hundreds of worshipers who appear for any prayer.

Originally it was built as a usually and extremely tall single-storied masjid with great emphasis of the vertical qualities where the three mihrabs located in the western wall stood from the base of the ground floor to one-third the height of the first floor. These mihrabs have been compressed in width and shortened in height; otherwise, they would structurally relate to the three domes to portray one of the masjid's prime architectural essences. The remains of the authentic mihrabs are present in the first floor and rise as much as one-third of its height in the western wall. In 2001 the first floor was inserted directly in the Masjid, which all but jeopardized the structural beauty defined by the relationship between the domes and the mihrabs. After the construction of the first floor, the beauty of the domes and mihrabs remain undecipherable where the former's view is completely obstructed by the roof of the first floor and the latter's size has been greatly altered. The architecture of the Bibi Maryam Masjid is defined by a combination of embellishments and proportional adjustment among elements such as arches, domes, mihrabs etc., all which have been used in a series of three members. In such elements the middle one is much larger and more emphasized than those that flank it. For instance the interior space was roofed by the three domes where the central dome is much larger than the subsidiary ones located at its either side. In masjids the use of three domes in such manner is a very distinctive feature of Mughal style.

The three domes which were constructed in the 17th century

There is a tower called Minaret in Arabic situated at the eastern corner of the main building which was built during the 1971 Liberation War and has lost its authentic features due to later repairs which completely modernized it. The interior hall has simple lateral arches, but the side domes have been reduced in size by adjusting the thickness of the side walls. The three domes are embellished with basal leaf imitations and the masjid walls are fortified. The embellishment of the outer surfaces or walls which in the contemporary typical Mughal masjids were plaques and floral and geometric motifs are also untraceable. A veranda has been later added alongside the first floor due the eastern facade of the masjid to accommodate more number of worshipers which has marred the beauty of the masjid. Originally there was an open plaza that adjoined the eastern facade adding to its beauty and measured 50 feet by 20 feet. The masjid even though is rectangular in shape but looked more of a square where the 50 feet width is marginally bigger than its 45 feet breadth.