Lalbagh Fort Mosque A provincial version of North Indian threedomed Mughal Jami mosques (the main congregational mosque of the town), Lalbagh Fort’s mosque is oblong in plan, measuring 19.8 m by 9.8 m (65 ft. by 32 ft.). This model became known locally as the Shaista Khan Style, as it was most likely built during the reign of Shaista Khan. The three-domed mosque was first noticed in India during the Lodi (1451– 1526) and Suri (1540–1556) periods. This design continued under the patronage of the Imperial Mughals, as exemplified by the famous Jami mosques in Delhi, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri, all of which feature three-domed prayer halls. Later, this style was introduced to Bengal and modified by local craftsmen. The plan of Lalbagh Fort mosque is divided into three bays. Two lateral arches define the larger central bay, which is 28 DHAKA LALBAGH FORT COMPLEX
square, while the side ones are rectangular. All three domes rise above the bays and are carried on squinches or pendentives (the curved triangular plane that supports a dome over a square base). The central four-centered dome is larger and higher than the two side bulbous domes (a pointed dome that swells). All of the domes are fluted and raised on octagonal drums. Four octagonal turrets or minarets at the four corners of the structure rise slightly above the parapet. The east elevation consists of three high multicusped arches. Façades are decorated with recessed rectangular panels. Some scholars argue that the side domes might have been reconstructed in the late 18th century because the bulbous dome is unprecedented in Bengal before this date.