Bagha Mosque - A beautifully designed ''Terracotta' building.

This is one of the ancient buildings of Bangla. The architectural significance makes it more attractive to tourists. There is only a handful of 'Terracotta' designed buildings that are still standing. Though there are different areas where renovation work is done. But the main building is the same as 500 years old.

History and detail.

The mosque is located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It was built in 1523-1524 (930 AH) by Sultan Nusrat Shah, son of Alauddin Shah, the founder of the Husain Shahi dynasty. There are 10 domes but I came to know that, many collapsed in the past and most of them are renovated. Terracotta designs are present everywhere inside and outside the mosque. This is what makes it different and attractive. The innumerable terracotta handicrafts were inspired by Persian carving.

The Wikipedia link has a detailed elaboration about the architecture and history. Here's the LINK

My visit.

I visited the place in August 2022. My hometown is nearby so it was a day trip with some of my friends. The mosque is open for all but you have to maintain some rules like decent attire and cleanliness to enter the building.

The area is not huge but the lake behind the mosque is. I get to see a few tombs of different saints here and there. Also, the mosque has some hanging boards on the walls about the history and information about the saints who are lying there. It was very helpful to know detail about the place.

We took our afternoon prayer there. It was so peaceful, not like a regular mosque where we usually pray with many other people. When we reach there, only a handful of local tourists there. And we got the opportunity to pray in a very quiet, calm, and peaceful environment. It gave us a chill for sure.

The inside and outside of the building are covered with Terracotta. The walls are very thick and they are made out of powdered brick (shurki). Can you believe an ancient building still standing which is not made out of any concrete and rod iron?

Architectural significance.

Now it's time to explore the detailed architecture. We took our time to see the handcrafted work on the walls. The detailing is amazing.

This was the most attractive one. This part of the wall is not collapsed and the terracotta is the same as before. Just look at the walls. They are fully covered with detailed hand works. They are mostly lily flowers, different herbs, some fruits, and different patterns. But it only took 1 year to build! I was thinking about how efficient the workers must be!

We couldn't resist but waved our hands over the walls to feel the beauty. The detail, yes, I'm saying repeatedly, that's what amazed me.

I believe, some renovation work ruined its original building but they were necessary to make the building stand.

Many consider this mosque as one of the marvels of architecture from ancient times. The remnants of its glorious past have survived the wrath of time and also, and it is considered one of the most significant and beautiful archeological sites.

It was my pleasure to witness the historical place, I would definitely visit there again.

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