Idgah - Dhaka

Idgah (Dhaka) a historic prayer place at Eid. Situated on the Sat Masjid Road in the Dhanmandi Residential Area, the Idgah was constructed, as evidenced by an inscription, by Mir Abul Quasim, Diwan of Subahdar shah shuja in 1640 AD (1050 AH).
The Idgah consists of an open platform raised about 1.83m above the surrounding ground. The original measurement of the courtyard platform was 74.68m ´ 41.76m. At present there is nearly a rectangular open courtyard of which only an original wall on the western side exists. Originally the height of the Idgah structure was 4.57m.
The Idgah wall on the west side contains a central mihrab and three other subsidiary mihrabs on both sides. The central one is semi-octagonal with a four-centred slightly stilted arch. It is 3.05m high and from about 2.74m starts the phase of transition. The breath of the mihrab is 2.26m. The semi-octagonal space is 1.35m recessed with the wall. Thus the breath of the wall as a whole in the middle is bulky as clearly seen from the backside (roadside). All the mihrabs are recessed within rectangular frames. The side mihrabs are 2.67m high and 1.37m wide. On both sides of the central mihrab there are two decorative multicusped panels within the rectangular frames. There is a three-stepped attached mimbar to the north of the central mihrab. It is most probably a subsequent construction. Of the four octagonal corner towers of the Idgah the one on the northwest corner is original. The Idgah wall is plastered brickwork and the parapet, which is straightly horizontal, has blind merlons.
The Idgah has recently (1981) been taken over by the Directorate of Archaeology (GOB), as a protected monument. They have undertaken the restoration works, with very little attention to its original features.