The Lost City of Bagerhat 🕌

The lost city of Bagerhat

 The Lost City of Bagerhat, also known as Khalifatabad, is a 15th-century city located in the Bagerhat District of Bangladesh. The city was founded by the Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan, who later adopted the name Khan Jahan Ali and became a revered saint in the region. 

At its height, Bagerhat was a thriving commercial and religious center, home to over 200,000 people. The city was built on a grid pattern, with wide streets and a sophisticated system of canals and reservoirs. It was surrounded by a high wall, with gates on each of the four cardinal directions.

The city was home to numerous mosques, mausoleums, and other religious structures, the most famous of which is the Sixty Dome Mosque. This massive mosque, also known as the Shait Gumbad Mosque, is a marvel of engineering and architecture. It is made of brick and has 60 domes, supported by 117 pillars.

The mosque also has several Mihrab S, or prayer niches, indicating that it was designed to accommodate large numbers of worshippers. Despite its grandeur, the Lost City of Bagerhat was abandoned in the 16th century, following the decline of the Bengal Sultanate. The city was gradually swallowed by the jungle, and its existence was forgotten for centuries. It was only in the early 20th century that the ruins of Bagerhat were rediscovered by archaeologists. Since then, extensive excavations and restoration work have been carried out, and the site has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, the Lost City of Bagerhat is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world. The Sixty Dome Mosque is the main attraction, but there are also several other interesting structures to see, including the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali, the tomb of his daughter, and the remains of a number of other mosques and mausoleums.

The Lost City of Bagerhat is a testament to the architectural and engineering prowess of its builders, and a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh. It is a place where history comes alive, and where visitors can immerse themselves in the mysteries of the past.

Author: Durbar Bagerhat