Welcome to Dhaka
Home to over 17 Million people, Dhaka isn’t always a quiet, retired place. It is a chaotic city, beautiful and gloriously noisy. Needless to say, there are plenty of attraction sites to visit in Dhaka once you get to the city.
So, now that you are in Dhaka, or planning on getting to Dhaka soon, you must be quite excited to see what the thriving capital of Bangladesh has instore for you. If this is true, then brace yourself for an adventure of a lifetime, because in this article, we will provide you a list of some of the top attraction sites to visit in Dhaka during your stay in the city.
1. Lal Bagh Fort
Located at the edge of Old Dhaka and overlooking the Burigonga River, Lal Bagh Fort is an imposing yet half-completed Moghul fort with well-tended gardens that offer the best excuse to escape Dhaka’s hustle and bustle for a few hours.
The fort began construction in 1677 under the direction of Prince Mohammed Azam, Emperor Aurangzeb’s third son. The construction project was then transferred by his son Nawab Shaista Khan for completion, however, the death of Khan’s daughter, Bibi Pari, was considered such a bad omen that the construction of the fort was permanently suspended.
However, 3 architectural monuments were completed within the complex: the three-domed Quilla Mosque, the Diwan Audience Hall, and the Mausoleum of Bibi Pari.
2. Sadarghat
While you are still in Old Dhaka, here is a chance to see Bangladesh at its grittiest.
Sadarghat (shod-or-ghat) is a lively area of narrow streets crammed with cycle rickshaws and, most notably, a bustling river port where you can explore the Buriganga River and the everyday life surrounding it. The Buriganga River, running through the center of Old Dhaka, is considered the very lifeblood of both the city of Dhaka as well as the nation.
Among all the larger ships and triple-towered ferries, you can find tiny wooden ones at the Sadarghat Boat Terminal that you can hire for a one-hour tour of the river, or walk slightly west to the Small Rowing-Boat Landing where you can find wooden rowing boats that ferry passengers across the river all day, for an unforgettable panorama of the fascinating river life of the locals.
3. Ahsan Manzil
Further south, you can visit the all-pink Ahsan Manzil Palace built by Nawab (prince) Abdul Ghani in 1872, who was the city’s wealthiest zamindar (landowner) at the time.
After the death of the Nawab and his son, the family fortune had dispersed and the palace had eventually fallen into disrepair. The building was also partially destroyed by a tornado in 1888, after which it was abandoned and even housed homeless people for many years until it was recently saved from oblivion by massive restoration in the late 1980s.
4. Tara Masjid (Star Mosque)
Another interesting sight to visit in the old Dhaka, right along Islampur Road, you will find the Tara Masjid, the Star Mosque. It stands on a high bank overlooking the Buriganga River. The Mosque has three domes over the prayer hall, and four corner domes over octagonal towers.
Tara Masjid is one of the most unique mosques in a city with its striking mosaic decoration. The Mosque was originally built in the typical Mughal style, with four corner towers in the 18th century. The Mosaic was in fact a later addition, where around 50 years ago, a pious local businessman financed its redecoration.
5. Curzon Hall
Erected in 1905 after the first partition of Bengal, this quasi-Gothic red-brick Hall is Dhaka University’s architectural masterpiece. It is a highly impressive blend of European and Moghul style of building favored by the British during the Raj era.
The structure was originally built to be the town hall by Lord Curzon, the Governor General of British India at the time. It has now been taken over by the Dhaka University, and is currently part of the Faculty of Sciences. These days, the main hall is being used as a grand setting for the university’s exams.
6. National Museum
Sprawling over several floors, the National Museum is a new Museum opened up in Shahbag with a rich collection from Bangladesh’s history.
The Museum excellently portrays the history of Bangladesh. It begins with the geological formation of Bangladesh, then takes you through a rundown of the nation’s flora and fauna, walks you the through the Buddhist and Hindu past, and brings you up to date with the War of Liberation and the creation of the modern state.
7. Jatiyo Sangshad (National Assembly Building)
Another well-known building in Dhaka is the Jatiyo Sangshad (National Assembly Building) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. This colossal complex of geometrical proportion was commissioned by Pakistan in 1963 to the famous American architect Louis Kahn to design a regional Capitol for East Pakistan. However, due to the liberation movement and ensuing war, the National Assembly Building wasn’t completed until 1982.
The building is often featured in books on modern architecture, and is regarded as among Kahn’s finest works.
8. Dhakeswari Temple
Dedicated to Dhakeswari, the protector of Dhaka and an incarnation of the goddess Durga, Dhakeshwari Temple is the centre of the Hindu faith in Bangladesh. Even though the current structure is a modern construction, there has been a temple on the exact spot of the temple for nine centuries.
Although visitors are welcome at any time, there is an Annual Festival for the goddess Durga Puja that is celebrated every year in September (exact dates vary according to the Hindu calendar). This would be certainly best time to visit as the Temple and surrounding streets are filled with thousands of celebrants for a particularly colorful, noisy and joyful time.
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