Bagha Mosque

The Bagha mosque was built in 1523 under Sultan Nusrat Shah and is the finest surviving example of the terracotta-decorated sultanate mosque in Bangladesh: a rectangular prayer hall with ten domes on four stone columns, its brick surfaces inside and out covered with carved terracotta panels of hanging lamps, rosettes, creepers and the mango and paddy motifs of Bengal, in a density and quality that no other building of the period in the country matches. A raised platform inside served the women of the court. The mosque stands in a walled enclosure with a large tank, a gateway and later tombs, and it has been restored several times, appearing for years on the fifty taka note.

History

The mosque was built in 930 AH, 1523-1524, by Sultan Nusrat Shah, son of Alauddin Husain Shah, founder of the Husain Shahi dynasty, of brick on a stone plinth and roofed with ten domes. It was repaired several times, and after an earthquake in 1897 brought down all its domes it was rebuilt (Wikipedia, Bagha Mosque).

What's there

• The densest sultanate terracotta - panels covering the brick inside and out.
• Ten domes on stone columns - the structure of the prayer hall.
• Mango and paddy motifs - Bengal's own imagery in the carving.
• The tank and walled enclosure - the setting of the mosque.

When to go

November to March. One to two hours. Morning and late light rake the terracotta and are the times to see it. It is a working mosque; visit outside prayers.

What to expect

Restoration has replaced panels in places and the new work is distinguishable. It is far from Rajshahi on slow roads. Access depends on prayer times. There is little else in Bagha.

Nearby

Rajshahi is north-west; Kusumba lies north across the district.

Key facts