Destination guide
Choto Sona Mosque
ছোট সোনা মসজিদ
This 500-year-old mosque is Chapainawabganj's best-known sight. Travellers almost universally say the same thing: the intricate stone inlay on brick walls and the cool, quiet interior leave you wondering how such fine work was possible five centuries ago. Birshreshtha Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir lies buried in the courtyard — history and national pride in one place.
History & significance
It was built during Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah's reign (many say 1493–1519) by a man named Wali Mohammad — his name survives in the inscription above the main door, though the date has worn away. The name comes from the once-gilded domes and walls: locals say the whole building shimmered like gold in sunlight. It stands in Firozpur village beside the old Gaur capital. Roughly 82 × 52.5 ft with 6-ft-thick walls; of 15 domes, 5 show from outside. Inside are 8 black stone pillars and 5 mihrabs. Damaged in the 1897 earthquake, it has since been restored by the Department of Archaeology. 'Choto' (small) separates it from the slightly larger Boro Sona Mosque across the border in India's Gaur, just 8 km away.
How to get there
From Rajshahi, direct buses run all the way to Sona Masjid land port — about ৳190, departing roughly every hour. The Chapainawabganj–land port road passes right beside the mosque via Kansat; you see it the moment you step off the auto or van. Kansat bazar is about 13 km from the port. From Dhaka, take a bus or train to Rajshahi, then on to Chapainawabganj, and finish with a local bus or reserved CNG.
Entry fee
৳0 · traveller-reported
Nobody mentions a ticket — entry is free. There's a voluntary donation box inside.
Opening hours & best time
No fixed hours were given — it's still an active mosque, so visit in daylight. It gets busy around Friday prayers.
Best time
Winter mornings and mango season (June–July) are both great. Summer afternoons are scorching outside, though the thick walls keep the interior remarkably cool.
Traveller tips
Stunts or rowdy behaviour inside the mosque are banned — protect the sanctity of the place.
Don't touch the stone carvings — damaging them carries penalties.
Summer days are scorching outside, but the thick-walled interior is dramatically cool — linger a while.
Tahkhana and Darasbari Mosque are close by — a reserved van covers all of them for ৳200–300.
The old courtyard graves carry no name plaques — walk around them respectfully.