If you are a believer, you don’t need magic to disappear; all you need is a destination. And being a believer, what other place should be a more appropriate destination for me than a mosque?

In Bangladesh, we have inherited a number of fabulous ancient mosques, which are extraordinary in aspect of their location and architectural beauty. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a couple of mosques in rural area of our country.

The two historical mosques, Tentulia Jami Mosque and Tentulia Bhanga (Shahi) Mosque, are located at Tentulia village in Tala upazila of Satkhira district.

Tentulia Jami Mosque stands on one side of Khulna-Paikgaccha Road, 18 km west of Satkhira town. According to an inscription, it was built by Zamindar Khan Bahadur Salamatullah in 1858–59 AD. Thus, it is also known as Khan Bahadur Salamatullah Mosque. It is a six-domed mosque, with three domes on each row. The mosque is an example of Mughal architecture blended with European style. It is a notable religious institution of Satkhira district.

On the other side of the road, you will find a mosque in ruins which is known as Tentulia Bhanga Masjid, or ‘broken’ mosque. It is assumed that originally, the mosque was a single- domed structure. Though now, a makeshift covering makes up the roof. Usually, one-domed mosques were of pre-Mughal period (15th Century or earlier). The layout of the bricks of the ‘broken’ mosque somewhat resembles those found in 15th Century relics of Moorish architecture in Granada, Spain. According to local people, this mosque was restored by Qazi Najibullah Khan during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan (1592-1666 AD).

The Department of Archaeology (DOA) has only listed the Tentulia Jami Mosque as a protected site. However, the Bhanga Mosque, which is more vulnerable in terms of structural condition, is not listed for preservation. n

References: Archaeological Survey Report of Greater Khulna District (DOA, 2004), and Historical Monuments of Satkhira (Asiatic Society, 2008).

Photos: Writer.