বাংলা 
English 
The Sixty Dome Mosque is an ancient mosque situated in the south-west of Bagerhat district of Bangladesh. The mosque bears no inscription, so no exact information is available about who built it or when it was built. However, looking at the mosque's architectural style, there is no doubt that Khan Jahan Ali built it. It is believed that he built it in the 15th century. This mosque was built over many years and at great expense. The stones were brought from Rajmahal. It lies within one of Bangladesh's three World Heritage sites; the town of Bagerhat itself has been given the status of a World Heritage site. UNESCO conferred this honour in 1983.
The mosque is about 160 feet long externally and about 143 feet internally from north to south, and about 104 feet wide externally and about 88 feet internally from east to west. The walls are about 8.5 feet thick.
History
During the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1435-59), Khan al-Azam Ulugh Khan Jahan built the state of Khalifabad beside the Sundarbans. Khan Jahan built a durbar hall for holding court, which later became the Sixty Dome Mosque. This mosque was built over many years and at great expense. The stones were brought from Rajmahal. Tughlaq and Jaunpur building styles are clearly evident in it.
Exterior
The mosque's eastern wall has 11 huge arched doorways. The middle doorway is larger than the others. The north and south walls each have 7 doors. There are 4 minarets at the mosque's four corners. Their design is cylindrical and they taper towards the top. Near their cornice there are ring-shaped bands and at the summit a domed top. The minarets are taller than the cornice of the roof. The two front minarets have spiral staircases, and from here arrangements were made for giving the azan. One of them is named Raushan Kotha and the other Andhar Kotha. Inside the mosque there are 60 columns or pillars. They are situated in 6 rows from north to south, and each row has 10 pillars. Every pillar is made of cut stone; only 5 pillars have been covered over with brick on the outside. Domes have been built upon these 60 pillars and the surrounding walls. Although the mosque's name is the Sixty Dome (60 dome) mosque, the domes here are by no means 60; rather the number of domes is 77. Of the 77 domes, the upper surface of 70 is circular, and the seven domes in the row between the middle doorway of the eastern wall and the central mihrab of the western wall look much like the roof of a chouchala (four-sloped) house in Bangladesh. With 4 domes on the minarets, the number of domes comes to 81 in total. Even so it came to be named the Sixty Dome Mosque. Historians believe that because there are seven rows of aligned domes, this mosque had seven domes, and from that came the name Shatgombuj (Sixty Dome). Again many historians believe that the mosque is named Shatgombuj because the domes rest on 60 stone-built pillars.
Interior
Inside the mosque there are 10 mihrabs on the western wall. The central mihrab is larger in size and adorned with ornamentation. South of this mihrab there are 5 mihrabs and to the north 4. Only in the place just after the central mihrab, where there should have been a mihrab on the northern side, there is a small door. In the view of some, Khan-i-Jahan used this mosque not only for prayer but also as a durbar chamber, and this door was the entrance to the durbar chamber. Again some say the mosque was also used as a madrasa. There is a mimbar as the place for the imam to sit.
How to go from Kushtia:
From Kushtia one can go to Khulna by both bus and train. From Khulna railway station and bus stand it takes about 40 minutes to get to Bagerhat. The Sixty Dome Mosque is seven kilometres from the bus stand, and the Sixty Dome Mosque complex lies three kilometres west of the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali (Rh.). Rickshaw fare: 30 taka.
Where to stay:
There are various hotels in Bagerhat Sadar. There is also a government guesthouse. You can stay at Momtaz Hotel located on Rail Road here. Although this hotel has fewer amenities, the quality of service is fairly good and the cost is a bit higher. Besides, there are some more hotels to stay in around this hotel. Moreover, in front of Khan Jahan Ali's mazar on the main highway you can stay at "Hotel Abhi". Fare: 400 taka. Phone: 01833742623.
Also among the hotels to stay in at Bagerhat are Hotel Al Amin beside the central bus station (0468-63168, 01718692737, AC double room 1,000 taka, non-AC rooms 100 to 400 taka) and Hotel Mohana at Kormokar Potti (0468-63075, 01722858313, non-AC rooms for 100 to 400 taka).
Since it takes one hour to come to Bagerhat from Khulna, one can also stay in Khulna.
