Panorama of the Week: Sixty Dome Mosque, UNESCO in Bangladesh
Filed Under: While Shait Gumbad Masjid (Sixty Dome Mosque) in Bagerhat, Bangladesh might qualify as one of more remote and foreigner-free UNESCO sites we’ve come across in our travels, it’s certainly not a lonely place.
From the moment we stepped foot on the grounds of this 15th century pre-Mughal-era mosque, we were approached by playful school girls, elderly Imams, extended families, shutter-happy teenagers and everyone in between. Conversations went in and out of Bangla and English about Bangladesh, United States, Islam, crocodiles, cricket, Facebook and more. At every turn, mobile phones clicked with photos of us.
And although the grounds of the mosque teem with people and activity, the interior is a peaceful array of columns and domes (77 in total plus four at the corners, just to confuse the visitor hoping to count 60). See for yourself in the panorama below.
Panorama: Shait Gumbad Mosque in Bagerhat, Bangladesh
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
Articles and Photos About Bangladesh
March 28th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
[...] Amazing panoramic view of the Sixty Dome Mosque in Bangladesh. [...]
March 29th, 2011 at 1:04 am
Amazing! I never associated Bangladesh with good Islamic architecture. Traveling indeed has the power to change one’s perspective.
March 29th, 2011 at 6:05 am
That’s so great you guys have made it to Bagerhat! That’s pretty far off the tourist trail not that Bangladesh really has one. I actually got stranded there once on my way to Rayenda (a village about an hour away that I volunteered in after Cyclone Sidr). Here’s the blog post, if you’re interested: http://www.nerdynomad.com/2008/02/13/this-is-why-i-love-travelling/
Ah Bangladesh… memories of craziness. Enjoy it!
March 29th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
@Prime: The more we research and talk to people, the more we find that there is actually good Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist architecture in Bangladesh. Traveling certainly does change your perspective on a place!
@Kirsty: Great story! Funny that you got stranded in Bagerhat – we were overwhelmed with people, questions and kindness there. Also loved the pond with crocodiles up the road from this mosque where people were bathing and collecting water and pointing to crocodiles at the same time. Crazy times in Bangladesh
March 31st, 2011 at 6:14 am
And yet another beautiful panorama from you guys! It’s really stunning.
March 31st, 2011 at 6:34 am
Yo. Most excellent that you made it out to Bangladesh. It’s on the other side of the (albeit small) country from Bagerhat, but my friend Jessica did some trekking up into the Chittagong Hill Tracts, near the borders with both China and India. Although she wrote about it for an inflight magazine (posted here: http://www.wanderingsavage.com/2011/02/bangladesh-chittagong-hill-tracts/) she assures me the real story was actually way more interesting and involved getting kidnapped by the police or security, or some such excitingly untoward thing, and that she’ll share the real story one of these days. Anyway, it got me interested in the place.
March 31st, 2011 at 8:14 am
As usual the panorama views are simply amazing. I think this is one of my favorites now. Second only to the smoking room.
April 1st, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Absolutely amazing panorama. Thanks so much for sharing!
April 3rd, 2011 at 2:53 am
@WTT: Thanks. We really thought the aesthetic and light of the mosque were something special and panorama-worthy.
@Scott: We’re actually headed to that side of Bangladesh tomorrow, after a visit to the tea gardens and a few Buddhist ruins along the way.
@Kirk: I see you like a little ambiance and shrouded light in your panoramas. Glad you are enjoying them.
@Lisa: Glad you liked it. We’ll keep ‘em coming.
April 3rd, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Another beautiful Panorama. Love it!
April 9th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
@Sarah: Thanks! Glad you liked it.
November 2nd, 2012 at 12:19 am
I’m part of the Bangladeshi diaspora and I found your entries about BD so interesting. I wasn’t born in BD and the last time I was there was over a decade ago. Thank you for taking the time to document your experiences so we can all learn about other cultures. I’m now going to explore the other entries about my country of origin.
November 11th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
@Womble: It’s great to hear that you found our articles and photo essays about Bangladesh interesting and worth reading. We found the country fascinating and the people really welcoming, so we hope we were able to convey some of that through our this blog. Thanks again for stopping by and commenting!