TARA MOSQUE

Tara Mosque or Star Mosque is a five-dome mosque is situated in the old part of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The mosque has ornate designs and is decorated with motifs of blue stars that dominate the decoration.

The mosque was built in the Mughal style in the late 18th century by Mirza Ghulam Pir, a highly respectable zamindar of Dhaka. It was originally a simple rectangular mosque, measuring 33′ x 11′ with three doorways on the east façade (main

façade) and one on the north wall and another on the south wall. Three domes crowned the mosque, the central one being the larger. Towers accented the corners and the façades displayed plastered panel decoration. In early 20th century, Ali Jan Bepari, a local businessman, financed its renovation when a front verandah was added. The surface was redone in ‘Chini Tikri’, a popular broken china decoration. The mosque is one of the very few examples of exclusive chinitikri mosaic, found in the striking blue star mosaic, which gave the mosque its name Star Mosque. In 1987, the prayer hall was extended to include two more domes. It was decorated with imported china clay tiles and used both methods of applying chinitikri and used solid colour, cur clay tiles and formed patterns by placing the coloured tiles in white plaster. The domes and the exterior are covered with different coloured star shaped china clay tiles. The upper portion of the eastern façade also incorporates a crescent motif. The work assumed another texture by using assorted glazed tiles on the interior. The three mihrabs and the doorways are decorated with mosaic floral pattern. A plant and vase motif is repeated as a decorative element on the pendentive and the interior of the verandah wall.

Source and further reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Mosque

https://www.silverwavetours.com/dhaka-tour-visit-famous-historical-heritage-places.html

https://www.bangladoot-paris.org/index.php/2013-06-03-11-28-34/tourism/islamic-heritage-sites.html