Mosque architecture under threat
Shahnaz Parveen
Space constraints caused by large scale land grabbing, high-rise building construction, unplanned restoration and air pollution pose constant threats to the historical mosque architectures, said historians at the launch of UNESCO's recent publication -- 'Mosque Architecture in Bangladesh'-- at the Goethe Institute."Most of Dhaka's mosque architectures are in appalling conditions. The mosque is a place of worship and can no longer be peaceful if it is squeezed between buildings," said Wolfgang Vollmann, UNESCO, Bangladesh's outgoing country representative. "It will be difficult to protect Dhaka's historical mosques, as the damage has already been done. The purpose of publishing this book is to document the rich heritage and enhance people's knowledge of mosque architecture," he added. Author of the book Dr Abu Sayeed M Ahmed pointed out that Bangladesh has a reach heritage of mosque architecture dating back to the13th century; most of which that are well known were built during the Mughal era. A large number of these mosques still survive and they need to be properly documented, analysed, published and conserved to recall the history of art and architecture of our glorious past. "If we study these mosques we will be able to study the history of Bangladesh," Ahmed said. "The book offers a comprehensive thought on the evolution and influence of mosque architecture in Bangladesh. It represents 30 selected mosques classified in three phases; Early Islamic, Mughal and Colonial. It is a detail compilation of text, illustration and photographs," he further said. Since 1987 UNESCO has been campaigning to safeguard the world heritage sites in Bangladesh. The campaign includes financial assistance, technical support for restoration, and monitoring of work. Although UNESCO is constantly promoting International Charter for Restoration (1964), it is not satisfied with the restoration work done by the Department of Archaeology. UNESCO officials claim that the original features of the Malitola mosque of Old Dhaka and Khan Jahan Ali mosque, Bagerhat have been lost after restoration work. "There are hardly any guidelines for restoration in Bangladesh. Many mistakes during the course of restoration have completely altered some of these mosques," Ahmed said. "The book is designed for three types of readers. It explains the proper ways of restoration. Art historians and students of Architecture will also benefit from the book," he added.
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