Choto Sona Mosque

The Choto Shona Mosque (Bengali: , lit.'Small Golden Mosque') is a 15th-16th-century mosque located in Chapai Nawabganj district, in the Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh. Situated about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the Kotwali Gate and 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the south-east of the Mughal Tahakhana complex in the Firozpur Quarter, the mosque is often referred to as "gem of Sultanate architecture" and "gem of Gaur".

The mosque was built by Majlis Mansur Wali Muhammad bin Ali between 1493 and 1519 during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah. The fifteen domes of the mosque were once gilded, hence its nomenclature, however the gold has since dissipated. During the earthquake in 1897, and subsequently restored in 1900-07. Three of the hemispherical domes, three of the chauchalas of the central aisle, and much of the west wall collapsed. The mosque has been restored and is one of the best-preserved Bengal Sultanate-style monuments that are under the protection of the Department of Archeology.

The mosque premise covers an area of 42 metres (138 ft) east-west by 43.5 metres (143 ft) north-south, and was originally surrounded by an outer wall, since restored, with a gateway in the middle of the eastern side. Built of brick and stone, the mosque forms a rectangle having outside dimensions of 25.1 metres (82 ft) from north to south and 15.9 metres (52 ft) from east to west. Granite stone blocks on four walls have disappeared from the southern side of the west wall because of conservation works after the destruction by the earthquake of 1897. he cornices are curvilinear and have stone gutters to drain off the rainwater from the roof. There are five arched doorways in the eastern façade 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 mihrabs have disappeared. The interior of the mosque, measuring 21.2 by 12.2 metres (70 by 40 ft), 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 metres (11 ft). The nave has three rectangular units, each measuring 3.5 by 4.5 metres (11 by 15 ft). 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 most important ornamentation of the mosque is to be seen on the frontal courtyard of the mosque, 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 metres (48 ft) 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. Alexander 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. However, the remains are nevertheless one of the most attractive monuments of Guar-Lakhnauti.

Mosque data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).