Sixty Dome Mosque is one of the most impressive Muslim heritage sites in Bangladesh. In the entire Indian subcontinent, the Sixty Dome Mosque in Bagerhat is a major tourist attraction in the area, forming part of the cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat. The Sixty Dome Mosque, which is also referred to as the Saith Gunbad Masjid or Shait Gumbad Mosque, in fact consists of more than seventy domes, with the roof being supported in the interior by a multitude of columns and arches, forming a myriad of aisles and bays.
The mosque was built in the 15th century by Khan Jahan Ali, a Muslim Saint of Turkish origin who was a ruler in the area at the time. The thick brick walls of the Sixty Dome Mosque taper to the roofline in the Tughlaq dynasty style of architecture. It is rectangular in shape with eleven arched doorways on the east side, seven doorways each on the north and south sides and a single door on the west, as well as a circular tower on each corner.
The mosque has a total of ten mihrabs indicating the direction of Mecca and is primarily decorated with terracotta.
The Sixty Dome Mosque was originally surrounded by protective walls with two gates, but only the magnificently arched eastern gate remains, giving some indication of the magnitude of the walls when they were intact. Although time and the elements have taken their toll on this magnificent structure, it is nonetheless worth visiting when exploring the fascinating country of Bangladesh.
This 'world heritage' is situated at Bagerhat District and can easily be accessed from Khulna city. The compound is beautiful, filled with trees and flowers; very peaceful. The compound has a small museum which is currently under renovation, so access is temporarily restricted. Just behind the mosque, there is a wonderful lake. Seat for a while and relax. The compound had clean restrooms for both male and female. Most importantly one can pray inside the mosque. Another 15th century mosque, 'Singair Mosque' is just at opposite side of the road. An interesting fact is that this mosque has 72 gumbad instead of 60 but it has 60 pillars inside!
Mike Holland, a foreigner says, "If you are travelling to Bagerhat area or just passing through on your way to the Sundarbans this is a must see area. The Shat Gambuj Mosque is one of the oldest in the area, but not the only one. This mosque is definitely worth seeing with its multi-domed architecture and well manicured surroundings."
Mantasha Hossain, an architect visiting the place says, "I was amazed by the architecture built then! Don't know how the Shear Force or Bending Moment was calculated then! A wonderful place to stop by."
The Sixty Dome Mosque is situated in the Sundarganjona village, located just 7 kilometers away from the city of Bagerhat in Bangladesh, on the north side of the Khulna-Bagerhat highway. The price of the ticket is Tk 20 but for children under five it is free. For any foreign visitor, the ticket price is Tk 200. From Saidabad in Dhaka every day, from 6am to 10am and from 7pm to 10pm, many buses leave - Meghna (0171717388553), Bonfool, tourist (01711131078), Falguni, Ara, Baleshwar, Hamim and Dola. Intercontinental train can go to Khulna on Sundarbans Express and then go to Bagerhat by bus. It takes about 40 minutes to go from Rupsa to Bagerhat.
