Residents of Dhaka lead a busy daily life and often feel tired. The 400-year-old (some historians say older) city is dotted with historic sites – forts, mansions and places of worship. Visiting Dhaka with family or loved ones can give you some respite from your vacation.That said, this article covers 10 such Historic sites and landmarks in Dhaka City.
10 Historical Sites In And Around Dhaka
Fort Lalba
Lalbagh Fort is located in the old Dhakaalbagh district on the banks of the Buriganga River in the southwest of the capital Dhaka. Emperor Aurangzeb started construction of the Lalbagh Fort in 1678 AD.
Currently, Lalbagh Fort Subedar Shaista Khan’s residence and Durbar Hall are used as a museum. Lalba Fort has three gates, but two of them are closed. As soon as you enter the gate, you are greeted by beautiful gardens. Go straight along the entrance road and you will see the mausoleum built in memory of Shaesta Khan’s daughter Paribibi.
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Also, this place has some attractions worth visiting. You can visit the Lalbagh Fort Mosque, beautiful fountains and more burials and cannons used in the wars of the time.
ashan mazir
Ahsan Manzil is located on the banks of the Buriganga River in Kumartoli, Old Dhaka. The centuries-old history of Dhaka is closely related to Ahsan Manzil.
Ahsan Mazil (Photo: Wikipedia)
In the mid-eighteenth century, the then landowner Sheikh Inayat Ullah Ahsan built a palace called Rang Mahal on the present site of Manzil. Later his son Sheikh Motiullah sold Rangmahal to a French merchant. Nawab Abdul Ghani’s father, Khwaja Alimullah, bought it in 1830. In 1859, Nawab Abdul Ghani started building a palace there. The construction of the palace took 13 years. He named it “Ahsan Manzil” after his beloved son Khwaja Ahsanullah.
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The biggest attraction of visiting Asan Manzil is the collection of the museum. A total of 4077 artifacts are on display in 23 rooms of Ahsan Manzil. The total area of Ahsan Manzil is 5.65 acres.
Rose Garden Palace
Rose Garden Palace is located in Tikathuri, Dhaka. A Hindu landowner named Hrishikesh Das built it for entertainment in the 19th century. It is the birthplace of the Awami League. Due to its archaeological value, the government bought it from its present owner in 2018 for Tk 3.317 billion.
The ground floor of the house has a hall, eight rooms and Corinthian columns. There are five more rooms upstairs, including another hall. Once upon a time, there was a fountain in the palace. Although the fountain is not working today, traces of it can still be seen. The rose garden for which the palace was named Rose Garden Palace is now extinct.
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Panam Nagar, Sonargaon
The historic Panam Nagar is located in Sonargaon, Narayanganj District, near Dhaka. In the 15th century, Bengal ruler Isha Khan established the first capital of Bengal in Sonargaon. The city was built on an area of about 20 square kilometers.
Sonargaon Panam City (Photo: Wikipedia)
The buildings of Panam Nagar were the residences of the elite citizens of the time. The architectural styles of the various buildings are unique in Panama City. About 52 buildings line the road through the city center. There are 31 buildings on the north side of the main road and 21 buildings on the south side. Some of these buildings have only one floor, while others have two or three floors.
Panam Nagar is a famous market for arts, crafts and muslin in Sonargaon. This place has witnessed the glorious history of Sonargaon.
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Star Mosque (Tara Masjid)
Tara Masjid is located on Abul Khairat Road, Armanitola. In the early 18th century, the then Dhaka landowner Mirza Ghulam built the mosque in the Mughal architectural style. This mosque is commonly known as Sitara Masjid or Mirza Ghulam Pir Masjid.
Star Mosque or Tara Mosque (Photo: Wikipedia)
The design of the mosque is particularly striking featuring star motifs. Due to this special design, this mosque is known as Tara Mosque.
Dakshwari Temple
The temple was built in the 12th century by King Ballal Sen of the Sen Dynasty. During the Liberation War in 1971, the Dakshwari Temple was severely damaged by the Pakistani Army. After Bangladesh became independent, the temple was rebuilt according to the original design.
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Dhakeshwari Temple (Photo: Wikipedia)
The mandapam of the temple has a standing altar of the idol of Goddess Durga made of metal. Durga pujas are held every year at Mahanagar Puja Mandap outside the main temple.
Swadhinata Stambha
It is a monument built to commemorate the Bangladesh Liberation War. It is located inside Suhrawardy Udyan in the heart of Dhaka. The intense electric light shot from it illuminated the surrounding sky.
Swadhinata Stambha (Photo: Simply Wikipedia)
The freestanding columns were designed by two architects, Marina Tabassum and Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury of Urbana Construction. It’s basically a glass tower. The structure of the tower is made of steel. The tower is 150 feet high and 16 feet wide.
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The Bangladeshi government’s plan to build the Independence Monument at Suhrawardy Udyan to commemorate various historical events is also one of the aspects of this integration.
Only Katla
It was built on the banks of the Buriganga River in 1646 by the order of Shah Suja, the son of the then emperor Shah Jahan. It was built by Abul Qasem who was known as Mir-e-Imarat. Originally, the palace was supposed to be the residence of Shah Shuja, but it was later used as a guest house.
Once upon a time, it was known for its architectural beauty, but now its gates are in ruins. However, the government is taking steps to save the historic palace.
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Red House
Rupral house was built by Armenians in the 19th century on Farashganj Road in Old Dhaka. It is one of the largest houses in Dhaka. Ruppal House lost its appearance a long time ago. Now its existence is almost endangered. On the ground floor of the house are various businesses and spice shops, and people live in different rooms above.
Hosseini Dalan
Hosseini Dalan, which has a history of nearly 300 years, is located on Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka and is a Shiite shrine. It was built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The building was originally built to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain of Karbala.
Hussaini Road (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
As soon as you enter the entrance of the building, you will see a large garden, Shia tombs and main buildings. You’ll see a large pond behind the building (built on 1.01 Bighas). The total internal area of Hussaini Dalan is 9,380 square feet.
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final words
although there are more Historic palaces, places of worship, and fortress lie in Dhaka, these 10 are the top few. You can visit these places on weekends or holidays. However, make sure you know the hours and days of operation before you visit.
