Stone mihrabs
Carved floral designs.
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Kusumba Mosque is a dark stone mosque in Naogaon district in northwest Bangladesh, known locally as the «Black Gem» and the «Black Mountain». It is a protected national monument, about 42.8 km in a straight line from central Rajshahi. The mosque was built in 1558 and 1559, in the reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, under the supervision of a man named Sulaiman. The 1897 earthquake badly damaged its domes, but the main structure survived, and the mosque has never been fully restored since it was built; the archaeology department repaired only some of the domes. The walls are faced in dark grey stone, and two rows of small domes top the building. Inside are carved stone mihrabs with floral designs and a raised, richly carved stone platform, while the outer walls carry screened windows and panels carved with rosettes. The mosque is still used for prayer, so dress modestly and take off your shoes before going in. It is about 43 km in a straight line from the Somapura Mahavihara site at Paharpur, so the two can share a long day out.
Carved floral designs.
A carved stone platform inside.
Pierced stone on the walls.
Kusumba village, Naogaon District, Bangladesh
For its dark stone, and perhaps the black plaster once on its outer wall.
Never fully; only some domes were repaired.