Sultans and Mosques: The Early Muslim Architecture of Bangladesh

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Description

Before the Mughal style came to dominate the Islamic architecture of the Indian sub-continent, Bengal and its rulers had developed their own forms. The mosque architecture of the Independent Sultanate period (from the 14th to the 16th centuries) represents the most important element of the Islamic architecture of Bengal. This distinctive regional style drew its inspiration from the indigenous vernacular architecture of Bengal, itself heavily influenced by Hindu/Buddhist temple architecture. The early Muslim architecture of Bangladesh is an important but little studied part of the architectural heritage of the Islamic world and the Indian sub-continent. Perween Hasan's work is a most original contribution to this subject.

Reviews

Oleg Grabar: " Created as a labor of love, this book is both an invitation to know Bangladesh better and to meditate on the brilliant history of Islamic architecture everyehere". Robert Hillenbrand: "Perween Hasan's work gives her book a unique authority. It will be of interest to both specialists and ameteurs in the field of Islamic architecture. As an important addition to the literature of the subject, it fills a major gap".

Author Bio

Professor of Islamic History and Culture at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She obtained her PhD at Harvard University where she studied under Professor Oleg Grabar.