Atia Mosque

The Atia mosque was built in 1609, at the point where the Bengali sultanate manner was giving way to Mughal building, and it shows both: a single square prayer hall with one large dome and three smaller ones over a veranda, engaged corner towers, and a curved cornice from the older tradition, with the whole brick surface covered in moulded terracotta panels of rosettes, hanging lamps, chains and floral bands. The decoration is the reason it matters, and it is among the more completely covered brick surfaces of its date in Bengal. It was restored after earthquake damage. The building appeared on the ten taka note for many years, which made it familiar to everyone in the country.

What you actually see

• Moulded terracotta covering the brick - rosettes, lamps and floral bands.
• A curved sultanate cornice - the older Bengali roof line on a Mughal-period building.
• One large dome over three - the prayer hall and its veranda.
• The banknote building - the mosque printed on the ten taka note.

When to go

November to March, outside prayer times. One hour. Friday midday is not a time for visitors. Modest dress and shoes off. Morning light picks out the terracotta best.

Honest expectations

Restoration has replaced some terracotta and the new work is visible. It is a working mosque and access depends on prayer times. It is small and the visit is short. Tangail is a long drive from Dhaka.

Nearby

Tangail is south-east; Mahera lies south.