Masjid Zeenath Baksh

Masjid Zeenath Baksh, also called Beliye Palli, stands in the Bunder area of Mangalore. Tradition holds it was founded in 22 AH (642–643 CE) by Arab traders led by Malik Bin Deenar, as the second of ten mosques they built after the Cheraman Juma Mosque at Kodungallur, which would make it the oldest mosque in Karnataka and the third oldest in India. In the late 18th century Tipu Sultan renovated it, adding rare wood carving to its pillars and ceiling, and renamed it Zeenath Baksh after his daughter.

The mosque echoes the region's Hindu temples, with a tank for ablutions in its grounds. The prayer hall sits on a plinth with an open colonnade under heavy carved eaves and a tiled roof. It is described as the only all-wood mosque in Karnataka: its inner sanctum rests on 16 teak pillars carved with symbols, bells and flowers, and teak and rosewood form the floor, ceiling, walls and doors.