Sona Mosque

Choto Shona Mosque (Bengali: ছোট সোনা মসজিদ, Small Golden Mosque) is located in Chapai Nawabganj district of Bangladesh. The mosque is situated about 3 km south of the Kotwali Gate and 0.5 km to the south-east of the Mughal Tahkhana complex in the Firozpur Quarter.

The mosque was built during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah, between 1493 and 1519. The fifteen domes of the mosque were once gilded, giving the mosque the name of Choto Shona Masjid (Small Golden Mosque).^[1][2] The mosque is one of the best-preserved sultana monuments under protection by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Governments of Bangladesh. The gilding that gave the building its name does not exist anymore. The mosque premise, which covers an area of 42 m from east to west by 43.5 m from north to south, was originally surrounded by an outer wall (now restored) with a gateway in the middle of the east side.

Built of brick and stone the mosque proper forms a rectangle having outside dimensions of 25.1 m from north to south and 15.9 m from east to west. All the four walls are veneered externally and to some extend also internally with granite stone blocks. These stones have disappeared from the southern side of the west wall because of conservation works after the destruction by the earthquake of 1897. The four exterior angles of the building are strengthened with polygonal towers, of which nine facets are visible. The cornices are curvilinear and have stone gutters to drain off the rain water from the roof. There are five arched doorways in the eastern facade and three each on the north and south walls. Corresponding to the five archways in the east wall there are five semi-circular mihrabs inside the west wall. The stones of most of these miharbs have disappeared by now.
The interior of the mosque, measuring 21.2 by 12.2 m is divided into three aisles by two rows of stone pillars, four in each row. A wide central nave has cut the aisles into halves, each half showing six equal square units with a side of 3.5 m. The nave has three rectangular units, each measuring 3.5 by 4.5 m. The interior of the mosque has therefore a total of fifteen units, of which the three rectangular units are covered with chauchala vaults, and the remaining twelve square units each by an inverted tumbler-shaped dome. They are all carried on radiating arches springing from the free-standing stone pillars and the engaged pilasters. The upper corners in between the arches of the square units are filled with corbelled brick pendentive to make up the phase of transition for the domes. At the northwest corner of the mosque there is a royal gallery forming an upper floor, which is still standing in a dilapidated condition. It was approached from the northwest corner of the mosque through a stepped platform connected with a doorway. The gallery has a mihrab in front.
Stone carving, brick-setting, terracotta, gilding and glazed tiles were used in decorating the building, and of them the former played the dominant role. The subject matters of the stone carving were chosen according to the demand of the spaces, e.g., the borders of the panels with creepers and their interior with various forms of stylised hanging patterns adapted from the chain-and-bell of the Bauddha and Jaina period. The spandrels of arches and the spaces above the frames are always dotted with rosettes, an attractive form of designs, but are all carved differently. The interior of the domes and vaults are decorated with terracottas, those of the vaults being copies of the bamboo frames of local huts. All the frontal archways and those of the mihrabs are cusped.

The most important ornamentation of the mosque is to be seen on the frontal courtyard of the mosque, only recently excavated. The ornamentation consists of mosaic roundels in blue and white colours of variegated design. The mosaic design is not in situ, but a roundel has been composed by the excavators, putting the flakes in their appropriate places and exhibiting it in a room attached to the guesthouse nearby. At a distance of 14.5 m to the east of the gateway there is a stone platform containing two tomb sarcophagi inscribed with verses from the Quran and some names of God. It is unknown who is buried here. Cunningham suggests these are the tombs of Wali Muhammad, the builder of the mosque, and his father Ali.

The glamour of the Chhoto Sona Masjid is not there as it was originally, particularly because of the stripping of the decorative mihrabs and the mosque courtyard, but the remains are nevertheless one of the most attractive monuments of Guar-Lakhnauti.

Sixty Dome Mosque

The Sixty Dome Mosque (Bengali: ষাট গম্বুজ মসজিদ Shaṭ Gombuj Moshjid) (more commonly known as Shait Gambuj Mosque or Saith Gunbad Masjid) is a mosque in Bangladesh, the largest in that country from the Sultanate period. It has been described as "the most impressive Muslim monuments in the whole of the Indian subcontinent."

 In mid-15th century, a Muslim colony was founded in the unfriendly mangrove forest of the Sundarbans near the coastline in the Bagerhat district by an obscure saint-General, named Ulugh Khan Jahan. He was the earliest torch bearer of Islam in the South who laid the center of an affluent city during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, then known as 'Khalifalabad'. Khan Jahan adorned his city with numerous mosques, the spectacular ruins of which are focused around the most imposing and largest multidomed mosques in Bangladesh, known as the Shait-Gumbad Masjid (160'×108').The construction of the mosque was started in 1442and it was completed in 1459.The mosque was used for prayer purposes. It was also used as a madrasha and assembly hall.

It is located in Bagerhat district in southern Bangladesh which is in the division of Khulna.It is about 3 miles far from the main town of Bagerhat.Bagerhat is nearly 200 miles away from Dhaka which is the capital of Bangladesh 

The 'Sixty Dome' Mosque has walls of unusually thick, tapered brick in the Tughlaq style and a hut-shaped roofline that anticipates later styles. The length of the mosque is 160 feet and width is 108 feet. There are 77 low domes arranged in seven rows of eleven, and one dome on each corner, bringing the total to 81 domes. There are four towers. Two of four towers were used to call azaan. The interior is divided into many aisles and bays by slender columns, which culminate in numerous arches that support the roof.
The mosque has 77 squat domes with 7 four-sided pitched Bengali domes in the middle row.The vast prayer hall, although provided with 11 arched doorways on east and 7 each on north and south for ventilation and light, presents a dark and somber appearance inside. It is divided into 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of 60 slender stone columns, from which springs rows of endless arches, supporting the domes. Six feet thick, slightly tapering walls and hollow and round, almost detached corner towers, resembling the bastions of fortress, each capped by small rounded cupolas, recall the Tughlaq architecture of Delhi.The mosque represents wonderful archeological beauty which was the signature in the 15th century.

The mosque is locally known as the 'Shat Gombuj Masjid', which in Bangla means Sixty Domed Mosque. However, there are 77 domes over the main hall and exactly 60 stone pillars.^[5] It is possible that the mosque was originally referred to as the Sixty Pillared Mosque where Amud (شصت عمؤد ) meaning column in Arabic/Persian, later got corrupted to Gombuj (গম্বুজ) in Bangla, which means domes.

BAGHA SHAHI MOSQUE

Bagha Mosque

Bagha Mosque, Rajshahi is a religious monument which has become one of the important tourist attractions in Rajshahi. The Bagha Mosque, Rajshahi is a brick-built monument which is located at a distance of 25 miles from the city. Built in 1523, the construction of the mosque was initiated by Nashrat Shah, former Sultan of Bengal. 
Bagha Mosque situated at Bagha, about 25 miles southeast of Rajshahi town, survives in a fairly good state of preservation. The mosque was built on the western bank of a fairly large tank within a brick-walled compound, 48.77m square. The mosque compound could be entered by two old arched gateways - one on the north and the main one on the south comprising a simple oblong curved structure with a turret on either side. This brick-built mosque, now a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh, is an oblong structure measuring externally about 23.16m by 12.80m. The four exterior angles of the building are emphasised with octagonal towers, divided into sections by moulded bands and topped over with polygonal solid cupolas. The cornice of the building is gently curved in the Bengali fashion.


The Bagha Mosque compound originally spread across an area of 48.77 square meters. Tourists can enter the compound of the mosque via arched gateways which are located at the southern and the northern part of the compound. The gateways comprise of an oblong turret structure which offers a unique style and reflect on the architectural style of the period when it was originally built.

The mosque is basically an oblong structure that measures about 23.16 meters by 12.80 meters. The exterior angles of the Bagha Mosque in Rajshahi are accentuated by the presence of octagonal towers which are divided into various sections by moulded bands. The cornice of the Bagha Mosque reflects on the Bengalis style of architecture that might have been prevalent during the time of its construction. Apart from it, the mosque also features five arched openings and three mihrabs which beautify the mosque structure.

The interior of the Bagha Mosque is mainly divided into two main aisles that are longitudinal in nature along with five bays of four stone pillars. The doorway arches of the mosque offers a two-storied appearance from the outside. The mosque suffered immense damage in the 1897 earthquake but mush has been repaired by the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh.

The most noteworthy aspect of the Bagha Mosque, Rajshahi is its exquisite terracotta ornamentation, much of which has disappeared. The few remaining are mainly in the interior section which has been enriched by the presence of the rectangular panels.

While touring the site of the terracotta mosque, the tourists can also explore the surrounding locations which feature other notable attractions like the shrine of Aulian Hazrat Danishmand and his disciples. Nature lovers frequenting the mosque site can also venture down to the nearby pond which attracts a large number of migratory birds, making it a great birdwatching destination.

There are five arched openings in the east and two on either of the south and north sides. Inside the mosque there are three mihrabs at the western end of the three southern bays, a panelled design in the fourth and a smaller mihrab in the raised gallery in the northwestern corner. The interior of the mosque is divided into two longitudinal aisles and five bays by a row of four stone pillars. The mosque has therefore ten independent square divisions, each being covered by an inverted cup-shaped dome. The Department of Archaeology has reconstructed the present domed roof, as the original roof had collapsed in the earthquake of 1897. The domes are carried on intersecting arches  springing from stone pillars and engaged stone pilasters. It is important to note that the stone blocks in the form of a lintel at the springing point of the doorway arches run all round the building, which gives the mosque a two-storied appearance from outside.

The mosque is noteworthy for its exquisite terracotta ornamentation. Although much of the ornamentation has already disappeared, quite a bit still exists both in the interior and exterior of the building. All the archways and mihrabs are set within decorated rectangular frames, while the spaces around the mihrabs and archways are enriched with highly ornate rectangular panels, one above the other. One such panel in the eastern facade is encircled by a frame of tendrils and contains an exuberant engrailed and floreate arch. From the apex of this arch hangs a conventionalised chain motif, which ultimately evolves into a fantastic grape-cluster.

The mihrabs consist of deep recesses and are faced with beautiful engrailed arches carried on decorated faceted pillars. The deep recesses are divided by raised mouldings into rows of rectangular small panels, each embellished with cusped arches containing varieties of designs. The spandrels of the mihrab arches are enriched with flower vases, out of which rise vine-like scrolls and leaves intertwining boldly projected rosettes. The whole composition is enclosed within a rectangular frame filled with a series of decorated rectangular panels. A window grill of the building is marked with a fine design of intersecting circles and diagonals. The faceted corner towers are also enriched with varieties of terracotta designs.

It is interesting to note that the additional prayer chamber created by means of a raised platform in the north-west corner within the building appears to have been an exclusive gallery for the governor who ruled the area as a nominee of the reigning sultan. This sort of special prayer chamber, noticed in some other Bengal mosques, appears to have been meant as a substitute of maqsura - a feature introduced in the mosque architecture of early Islam for the safety of the caliphs. This particular feature of the Bagha mosque has given it the status of a Jami mosque.

An inscription, which was originally fixed over the central archway of this building (now in Karachi), records its construction by Sultan nusrat shah in 1523 AD.

Bagha Mosque was Built by Sultan Nusrat Shah in 1523 A.D.  Bagha Mosque is a richly decorated monument originally roofed over with 10 domes which collapsed long ago. But recently this Mosque rebuilt carefully to their original form. From Rajshahi you can go there easily by any motorized vehicle.