The Kamranga Mosque: Architectural Synthesis and Heritage Significance in Colonial Dhaka - Review

Sazzadur Rasheed ^1*, Farhana Nazneen ², Mohammad Niamul Huda ³

Kamranga Mosque exemplifies colonial architectural synthesis in Bangladesh, blending Moorish and Mughal styles, reflecting historical influences and local craftsmanship.

Abstract

The colonial phase (1757-1947) of the Indian subcontinent saw a blend of various cultural and philosophical influences on art and architecture, prominently shaped by the Portuguese, Dutch, English, British, French, and Danish. During the British Raj (1858-1947), large-scale edifices for administrative, commercial, religious, and secular purposes were constructed, profoundly impacting the architectural landscape. Bangladesh, then part of Bengal, became adorned with numerous architectural buildings reflecting these influences. Dhaka, a major trade hub, emerged as a cultural melting pot, integrating local contributions and colonial architectural styles. This study focuses on the "Kamranga" mosque in Zindabahar, Old Dhaka, built by affluent merchant Golam Rasul Chowdhury around 1895 AD. The mosque's unique features exemplify the assimilation of colonial architectural philosophies. Through precise documentation, construction analysis, comparative analogical study, and relevant case studies, this review highlights the stylistic synthesis of the Kamranga mosque, emphasizing its blend of Moorish and Mughal styles, and proposes heritage management plans to preserve similar structures.

Keywords: Colonial architecture, Kamranga Mosque, Historicism, Dhaka heritage, Muqarnas

References

Ahmad Kamaruddin. (2011). Dhaka Zindabahar Lane er Chowdhury Bongher Kursi Nama (in Bangla) (pp. 1-9). Author.

Ahmed, I. (2019). Craftsman, informal heritage management and social capital in conserving chini-tikri work of Kosaituli mosque, Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 9(3), 334-351. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-07-2018-0050

Carrillo, A. (2012). Muqarnas domes: An interpretation of the “Heavenly Vault.” In Comunicación Florencia. Domes in the World (pp. [page numbers]). [Publisher if available].

Das, P. K. (2014). Henry Irwin and the Indo-Saracenic movement reconsidered. Partridge Publishing India.

Fundación Pública Andaluza El legado andalusí. (2016). Umayyad route (1st ed.). Fundación Pública Andaluza El legado andalusí.

Gonzalo, J., & Alkadi, R. (2018). Muqarnas domes and cornices in the Maghreb and Andalusia. Nexus Network Journal, 20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00004-017-0367-3

Gyetvai-Balogh, A. (2007). Architecture of the 19th century and the turn of the century: Different periodizations in different countries and eras, new structures and materials in architecture (pp. 3, 5, 44, 53-63). Retrieved from http://www.eptort.bme.hu/doc/egyeb/bekacomb.pdf

Haque, E. (1998). Glimpses of mosques of Bangladesh. Department of Films and Publications, Ministry of Information.

Imamuddin, A. H., & Asrker, S. A. (1985). Community mosque: A symbol of society. In Seminar on Regionalism in Architecture and the Role of Architects in South Asia, Dhaka.

Islam, S. (Ed.). (1997). History of Bangladesh 1704-1971. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Asiatic Press.

Kaufmann, K., Giese, F., & Keller, S. (2016). Resplendence of Al-Andalus: Exchange and transfer processes in Mudéjar and Neo-Moorish architecture. Asiatische Studien / Études Asiatiques. https://doi.org/10.1515/asia-2016-0499

Khan, F. (2015). Unplanned modernization may lead to threat to architectural heritage: A case of historic mosques of Dhaka city. International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 3(1), 500.

Madjanovic, M. (2020). Architectural historicism revisited: The case of the 20th-century traditionalist architecture in Queen Street, Auckland.

Mowla, Q. (2016). Colonial spatial planning versus local tradition in the morphology of urban Dhaka. In Dhaka: An Urban Reader (pp. 1-30).

Rahman, Z. (2003, August 11). Koshaituli mosque: Echoing back Islamic voice. Star Heritage. The Daily Star.

Wikimedia Commons. (2015). Bengal. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Bengal.svg