The Andarkilla Shahi Mosque: A Symbol of Chattogram’s Heritage -Masrafi Noor Nowfal

The historic Andarkilla Shahi Mosque in Chattogram tells the story of the Mughal conquest of Chattogram. It is said that this fort was once a hideout for Mughal and Portuguese pirates.

On January 27, 1666 AD, Umed Khan, son of Shaista Khan, the then Mughal ruler of Chattogram, entered the fort, and from then on it was named ‘Andarkilla’.

Later, on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb, Shaista Khan built a mosque in the pirates’ hideout to commemorate the Mughal conquest of Chattogram in 1667 AD, 1078 AH. He named this mosque ‘Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid’.

56 years later, another ruler of Chattogram, Nawab Yasin Khan, built another brick mosque on a hillock on the southeast side of the hill near Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid in 1723 AD. He named it ‘Kadam Rasul’.

At one time, Kadam Rasul Mosque gained importance over Andarkilla Mosque, while Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid lost its devotees and importance. At one stage, Andarkilla Shahi Mosque became deserted.

Taking this opportunity, in 1761 AD, the East India Company started using Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid as a warehouse for storing their ammunition. After 115 years, Hamidullah Khan’s request led to the reopening of Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid for Muslim prayers.

Since 1667, a large number of Muslims have been flocking to this mosque. Since its establishment, the Awlad-e-Rasul has appointed the mosque’s Imams. This continuity still exists. Currently, the Khatib of this mosque is Awlad-e-Rasul Allama Anwar Hossain Taher Jaberi Al-Madani.

Andarkilla Shahi Mosque has become a mosque of emotions, feelings, and love for the people of Chattogram and its surrounding areas. Devotees come to this mosque from different districts of Bangladesh to offer prayers, especially for Friday prayers.

The decision of this mosque on the issue of fasting, Fitra and Eid moon sighting is sincerely accepted by the people of all walks of life in Chattogram.

The architecture and structure of Andarkilla Shahi Jame Mosque was built according to the Mughal style. The mosque is located on a small hill about 30 feet above the plain.

According to the design, the main mosque is 18 yards (16 m) long and 7.5 yards (6.9 m) wide, and each wall is about 2.5 yards (2.2 m) thick. The western wall is made of burnt mud, and the other three walls are made of stone. Two smaller domes and a large dome in the middle cover the mosque’s roof.

Two of the mosque’s four octagonal towers still stand at the back. The mosque has a total of five entrances: three in the east, one in the north, and one in the south. There are three mihrabs inside the mosque. However, only the largest mihrab in the middle is currently in use.

The historical and traditional Andarkilla Shahi Jame Mosque stands as a witness to the Muslim conquest in Chattogram. The entrance to the main building of this mosque is inscribed in black stone with white letters in Persian. When translated into English, it stands for ‘O wise one! Tell the people of the world that today the second Kaaba has been established in this world. The date of its establishment is 1078 AH. The name of its establishment is also engraved here.