Great mosques

The Bagerhat area flourished under a local hero named Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century. Islam was taught and mosques were built. To this day, some of these old buildings still stand and attract a small crowd of local pilgrims and the odd traveller. They are all very simple and humbled looking. Shait Gumbad mosque is the biggest. It is also called the 60 domes mosque, which is a bit strange considering it actually has 77 of them. Other mosques in the area worth exploring are Singar mosque, Bibi Begni mosque and Dargah mosque. The old mosques of Bagerhat is one of the few World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh.

A tasteful and modest piece of architecture that shows what oil money can buy. It was built in 1958 with the finest materials from all over the world; marble from Italy, stained-glass and chandeliers from England, granite from China, carpets from Saudi Arabia and a golden dome. In the artificial lake stands a replica of a royal boat. It's clearly the city's proud landmark and is considered among the most beautiful mosques in the world.

The old Grande Mosquee in Agadez dates back to 1515, but was totally rebuilt in 1844. In the early morning light, the minaret of clay and wood shines with warm colors, while people dressed in colorful clothes, moves around. It's a magical place, with all the sounds and sights, and the smell of the desert.
Agadez lies in the Sahara Desert, and the sandy streets, the mud brick buildings and dry heat of the desert, creates a wonderful atmosphere. For a small fee you can climb the minaret, which will give you good views of the city.
Agadez is a about 13 hours by bus from the capital Niamey, but you can also fly here - even from France.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, or in Persian Qabus Azam Mosque, is a new mosque built by, well, Sultan Qaboos (the sultan of Oman) in 1995. It is an impressive piece of modern Arabic architecture with many fine details. Take for example the Persian rug inside. It measures 60 x 70 metres, making it the world's second largest carpet (it was the largest when it was made). Non-Muslims are welcome (at certain hours), but can only walk on the blue "non-Muslim" carpet.