Exploring Old Dhaka’s Architectural Wonders | Dhaka Diaries

Old Dhaka, mostly tempts me with the foods it has to offer me but this time I am gonna explore the places that you shouldn't miss when you are in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. This part of Dhaka is rich in history, culture, and much more. The places I have covered demand individual posts if I had covered deeply, they have so much to offer, to explore, maybe in the distant future.

"ᵂᵒʳᵈˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵖⁱᶜˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ, ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᴵ ˢʰᵒᵘᵗᵒᵘᵗ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᶜᵃᵐᵉ ᶠʳᵒᵐ!"

For someone who loves to explore the history, culture, magnificent architectural creations, and such then Old Dhaka is a sweet spot to dive in.

North Brook Hall - Lalkuthi

In old Dhaka, I came across North Brook Hall, which is also known as Lalkuthi(Red House) in the Sadarghat area, the north bank of the Buriganga River. It is a historic building of the 19th century, the naming was done after the name of the then viceroy of India, Lord Northbrook. It shows Mughal and European architectural influences.

But right now, it's going through renovation works, couldn't enter the premises as things were scattered all over. Just took one or two photos from outside, and walked to the next destination.

Location: [//]:# (!worldmappin 23.70462 lat 90.41247 long d3scr)

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Sadarghat Launch Terminal

This is the transportation hub for Dhaka that connects the passengers and cargo vessels with many districts, this one is situated on the bank of the Buriganga River which can be seen if we explore Old Dhaka. Bangladesh is a riverine country and this one has been serving since the 19th century. For decades it has been the prime point for Dhaka to communicate and trade, Infrastructure has boomed in recent times and thus it's losing its glory but still, it is serving its purpose every day.

Tons of passenger launches can be seen when we get in the terminal paying a tiny entry fee. Different destinations have their respective launches, I had once traveled with these launches and that was reserved for picnics. A rush of people is seen from the passengers to get in or depart.

Location:[//]:# (!worldmappin 23.70554 lat 90.41010 long d3scr)

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Ahsan Manzil

We have seen the Red House, let's go for the pink one. Ahsan Manzil is also known as the Pink Palace which was established in the 19th century as the residence of the Nawabs. Now it has been turned into a museum to showcase the history of the Nawabs and their lifestyles. This one is a UNESCO world heritage and a must-visit place for anyone who wanna dig into the history of Dhaka and wants to explore.

ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴇᴡ ɪɴ ꜰᴜʟʟ ʀᴇꜱᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.

Inside the museum, we get to see the historical elements of their lifestyle and stuff displayed from one room to another with brief histories to read.

ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴇᴡ ɪɴ ꜰᴜʟʟ ʀᴇꜱᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.

See? We got some architectural styles to admire, their lifestyle idea, and also some of their glory. Here the last photo is the skull of an elephant named FEROZ JUNG, one of the favorites of Nawab Abdul Ghani.

Location: [//]:# (!worldmappin 23.70855 lat 90.40603 long d3scr)

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Lalbagh Fort

This one is another historic landmark in Dhaka to visit, this fort was constructed in the 17th century by the Mughals. This one is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. This one is also standing on the bank of the Burigange River area just like the Ahsan Manzil. This one is an incomplete structure but still has lots of history and well-preserved structures to attract the thirst of tourists who want to explore the history of the Mughals and their architectural styles.

Lalbagh Fort is bestowed with gardens all around to give you a green vibe. It has many structures to check out not just the one above. Behind this, there are more to check out.

ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴇᴡ ɪɴ ꜰᴜʟʟ ʀᴇꜱᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.
Look closely at the last pictures, you will see the traces of rain. When I entered the Lalbagh Fort it started raining heavily within a few minutes. And by the time the rain stopped, it was closing time. That is why, I couldn't explore Lalbagh Fort to its fullest, need to revisit it. I entered in the deadline so check out the visiting hours as they change based on the day of the week.

Location: [//]:# (!worldmappin 23.71886 lat 90.38816 long d3scr)

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Religious Structures

This is Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, it was close as I was there in an odd time so I couldn't get in. Inside the premises, it's too beautiful and huge.

Dhaka Baptist Church, I spotted this while going to Sadarghat. I had planned for the Armenian Church and Dhakeswari Temple as well but couldn't visit due to time shortage and rain. Keep them on our list for sure if you plan to visit. In Dhaka, you would find all religious people living peacefully.

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Streets of Old Dhaka

ᴄʟɪᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴇᴡ ɪɴ ꜰᴜʟʟ ʀᴇꜱᴏʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.

Old Dhaka is too congested, always a rush of people. Traffic jams are inevitable in a few of those areas. If we plan to explore by walking or try the Ricklshaw instead of a car then you will be able to see the riddle-like narrow roads of old Dhaka that only a guide can assist the newbies. Another thing to note is roadside hawkers. If you just walk by the streets you would notice these kinda sellers with vans and different types of stuff like clothing, shoes, accessories, and whatnot. You would get literally everything from there if you just keep walking and your eyes and ears open.

In old Dhaka, you would also see some horse carriages as well. Not for general usage but for tourists to experience a horse carriage ride. I haven't been on this due to some other reasons.

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NB: This exploration tour to Old Dhaka was for half a day, but the rain messed up everything. I got drenched and had to come back. Check out the visiting hours and off days of the museums before going and weather updates everywhere.