SURA MOSQUE 16TH CENTURY A.D.

The Sura mosque stands in the village Chorgacha under Ghorahat upazilla in Dinajpur district; about six kilometers from the upazilla headquarter. Although unadorned, the Sura mosque is dated back to the early sixteenth century in the light of its close links with dated monuments of that time. "Recently an inscription of the time of Alauddin Hussain Shah, dated at 910 A.H. /1 504 A.D. has been discovered in the village Champatali, a few miles away from the place. It records the construction of a mosque. If this inscription is taken to have any connection with the mosque at Sura, the year 1504A.D. can be assumed as the date of its construction" (Banglapedia 2003: 480).

KUSUMBA MOSQUE 1558 A.D.

Kusumba mosque, termed as the Black Gem of Bengal, is situated at the village Kusumba in Naogaon. According to an inscription it was erected by a patron Sulayman in 966A.H./1558A.D. during the reign of Ghiyath al-Din Shah (Hasan 1987:231). It is located on the west bank of a big tank measuring 381 m by 274 m.There is a big courtyard in front of the mosque surrounded by a low boundary wall. This mosque is still in a good state. Stone was scarce and was used to build the finest edifices in Bengal. Only six stone mosques exist in greater Bengal that was built during the early Islamic or Sultanate period. Kusumba mosque is one of them. Stones of this mosque are dark black-basalt which was shipped from Rajmahal hill of Bihar.

BAGHA MOSQUE 1523 A.D.

The mosque lies near the upazilla headquarter of Bagha, about 35 km south-east of Rajshahi city. According to an inscription earlier fixed over the central entrance (at present in Karachi), the mosque was built in 930A.H./1523-24A.D. by Sultan Nusrat Shah, (S.Ahmed 1960 :212). It is an isolated mosque standing on a high mound of earth and stands within a compound surrounded by a low wall. It is accessed through two arched gateways from the north and south. A big tank was dug on the eastern side. This mosque was seriously damaged in the earthquake of 1897 when all the domes and the eastern wall collapsed (S. Ahmed 1960:213).The praiseworthy restoration was undertaken in 1978 by the Directorate of Archaeology Bangladesh.

GOALDI MOSQUE 1519 A.D.

Goaldi mosque is a very nice edifice. It was built following the style of square shaped mosque found in Bagerhat during the regime of Khan Jahan Ali. This small neighborhood mosque is located in the village Goaldi at Sonargaon upazilla under Narayanganj district and about half -a-mile north-east of the ancient Panam city. According to an inscription slab which was once fixed over the entrance door, this mosque was constructed in 925A.H./1519A.D. during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Husayn Shah by the Mulla Hidjbr Akbar Khan (Cunnighami 882:1 43). Before the restoration in 1975A.D. by the Directorate of Archaeology of Bangladesh, the dome and major portions of the south, east and north walls had fallen down, the only exception being the kibIa on the west (Hasan 1984:186).

DHUNIACHAK MOSQUE 15TH CENTURY A.D.

The Dhunichak mosque is situated in the southern suburb of the old city Gaur and presently in the village Shahbajpur under Shibganj upazilla of the District Chapainawabganj. This mosque bears no inscription, but after comparing similar mosques, such as the Shahi mosque at Basirhat (871A.H./1466A.D.), the Hathazari mosque at Chittagong (879A.H./1474A.D.) and the Baba Adam mosque at Rampai (888A.H./1483-84A.D.), it can be presumed that it was probably constructed in the late fifteenth, when three-aisled mosques were popular in Bengal.

RAJ BIBI MOSQUE 15TH CENTURY A.D.

From the literal meaning of the word Rajbibi (royallady) it can be presumed that this mosque was built at Gaur, Chapainawabganj by an influential family member of the ruler. The time of founding cannot be ascertained as there is no inscription. According to S. M. Hasan, "it may be placed between the early llyas Shahi period and the Husayn Shahi period, that is, during the restored llyas Shahi dynasty which ruled from 841A.H./1437A.D. to 892A.H./1487A.D. (Hasan 1979: 208).This small mosque lies on the western side of the tank Khania dighi, the orientation of this tank towards east-west proves that it was dug by a Muslim ruler.

CHHOTO SONA MOSQUE 1493-1519 A.D.

The Chhoto Sona mosque, meaning the little golden mosque, is regarded as "the gem of Gaur". It is situated on the eastern side of a road connecting Gaur in India and Nawabganj in Bangladesh. Gaur was the fortified capital of ancient Bengal. The mosque was built by one Wall Muhammad during the reign of Sultan Husayn Shah (1493-1519), an independent ruler of Bengal (Dani 1961:136-38). This is evident from a broken inscription placed on the top of the middle doorway.