Mosque and Mausoleum of Zinda Pir
About 100 m southeast of the nine domed mosque there stands a small single domed mosque in a very ruinous state surrounded by many masonry graves. Tradition ascribes that the mosque was built by one nebulous Zinda Pir. The mosq is a 4.7m squre building with three arched entrances on its facade and north sides. The badly damaged single mihrab on the west wall is decorated with terracotta floral scrolls and the traditional chain-and-bell motif. The octagonal corner turrets are releived with bands at intervals.
There is a tomb to the southeast of the mosque which measures 7.5 square. Though there were four sides but at present only northern doorway survives. The wall on other sides exist to a very little height. Octagonal turrets survive up to certain height.
Reza Khoda Mosque
The highly dilapidated ruins known as Reza Khoda Mosque is located about 100m northwest of Zinda Pir Mosque across an axial road. Only the four walls and three mihrabs survive up to certain height. From the existing ruins, it appears that it was a six-domed mosque and the domes were supported on stone columns, which still lie around. There were three tall entrances on the east and two each on north and south sides. The mosque internally measures 10.6m N-S and 8.1m E-W. the mihrabs are flanked by decorated brick pilasters. Arches in front of the mihrabs are multicusped. Terracotta perforated jalis were inserted into the walls at regular intervals for ventilation and light. Some of them still survive. Octagonal corner turrets appear to have been decorated with terracotta bands.
Ten-Domed Mosque
This mosque is located in the village Krishnanagar of Karapara Union on the old axial road leading to the Bagerhat town. The rectangular prayer chamber measures 23.7 × 11.7m with 2m thick walls. It is roofed over by 10 spherical low domes. The facade is provided with five arched entrances while there are two doorways each on the north and south sides. Though the local devotees have modernized the mosque but the monument still retains its some original factures like arches, pendentive and mihrabs.
Sbek Danga Monument
The monument locally known as Sabekdanga Mosque, is located about 5km due north of the Tomb of Khan Jahan. It is situated in the village of Sabekdanga of the Karapur Union across the Shait Gumbad Road. It is a small curvilinear structure which measures internally 5.6m N-S and 3.5m E-W with 1.3m thick walls. The rectangular building was covered by four segmented roof. The building was converted to a mosque by some alterations in different parts. The original entrance in the middle of the southern wall. Similarly they widened the nich on the west for using it as mihrab.
The interior of the monument is profusely embellished with various terracotta floral and plant motifs in which pomegranate fruits hanging from spreading branches are worth quoting.
Function of this building is a matter of controversy. An investigation out by the present author in 1993 proved that it was neither tomb nor mosque. Probably it was built as a special prayer chamber which is commonly now as Ibadatkhana ir Huzra Khana. Recently the monument has been restored by the Department of Archaeology.
Mounds
Khan Jahan’s Residence
A low mound locally known as Khan Jahan’s Vasatbati (Khan Jahan’s Residence) is situated about 600 north of Shait Gumbad Bus Station and 200m north of Shait Gumbad Mosque.
The site is lacated in Bajeapti-Sundlarghona area under the union of Shaitgumbad on the southern bank of Magra Khal (canal). There are three mounds and two small tanks known as Bis Pukur and Andhi Pukur respectively.
A small scale excavation carried out by the Department of Archaeology in 2002 in the large mound revealed some nondescript walls, floors, stone columns, postherds and porcelins. The exposed remains indicate that probably there was a mosque and residence also which had been repaired several times. Further investigation is required to confirm it and to expose the remains fully.
About 50 m south of this excavated site a low mound lies which is locally known as Sona Masjid. The mound has now been almost leveled to the ground. But the huge potsherds and top of the damaged walls visible clearly indicates that this entire area was thickly inhabited. Extensive excavation will certainly yield important information which will help to reconstruct the history of Ulugh Khan Jahan.
Kotwali Chawtara
About 200m northwest of Khan Jahan’s residence site there lies a large mound, locally know as Kotwali Chawtara containing the remains of ancient structure. Tradition ascribes that once this was site of the city Kotwal.
Jahajghata
Nearly 200m north of Khan Jahan’s residence along an ancient road overlooking the meandering of moriband Bhairab there lies a site locally known as Jahajghata or Port of Khan Jahan or Pathar Ghata. An ornamental stone column is firmly embedded in the ground which supports the people’s common belief. An image of an eight handed Mahismardini Durga (c. 11th/12th century AD) is engraved in this stone column. Probably this was subsequently brought here.
Chilakbana Mausoleum
The site known as Chillakhana Mazar is located about 200m north, northeast of Rezakhoda Mosque in Ranavijoypur mouza. Within an enclosure there are the remains of a large tomb. Local people believe it is the grave of Chilla Khan who was the security of Khan Jahan’s treasury. However, this claim is yet to be proved. The local devotees have modernized this tomb to a large extent.
Bara Azina Mound
The site is located about 300m northeast of Khan Jahan Ali College in the village Sonatala. The site is covered with large trees, herbs and shrubs. Occasional brickbats and good number of stone columns are noticed in the site. The columns are very similar to those of Shait Gumbad Mosque. Most probably the site covers the remains of a mosque. We need archaeological excavation to uncover the remains.
Bagerhat Museum
A museum-cum-office has been constructed in 1994 to display the cultural materials of the period recovered from Bagerhat and adjacent areas. This museum is built in an area of 520 sqm in the adjacent north of Khulna-Bagerhat Highway in the premises of Shait Gumbad Mosque Complex. The museum building comprises six galleries of various sizes and shapes.
The museum displays the cultural materials collected from various sources either as surface finds or excavated materials. They include different types of house hold objects like drinking an cooking pots of stone, glazed tiles, semi-precious stone beads conch bangles etc. Besides, some excavated objects predominantly ornamental bricks of different mosque sites of Barobazar>Muhammadnagar have also been displayed. Ilustration of some Mughal forts, tombs of saints, maps of Bangladesh and Bagerhat are also displayed in the museum.
