Bangladesh
Built in 1459 (the same year Khan Jahan Ali died), the famous Shait Gumbad Mosque is the largest and most magnificent traditional mosque in the country…
Must-see attractions in Bangladesh
Dhaka
The half-completed Lalbagh Fort and its well-tended gardens are an excuse to escape Old Dhaka’s hustle and bustle for an hour or so. The fort is…
Bangladesh
Constructed almost entirely between 1895 and 1905 on a small segment of the ancient capital city, the tiny settlement of Painam Nagar consists of a single…
Dhaka
Dating from 1872, the must-see Pink Palace was built on the site of an old French factory by Nawab Abdul Ghani, the city’s wealthiest zamindar (landowner)…
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Dhaka
Running calmly through the centre of Old Dhaka, the Buriganga River is the muddy artery of Dhaka and the very lifeblood of both this city and the nation…
Dhaka
Clouds of incense and a bursting paintbox of colours signal a welcome to so-called Hindu Street. Lined on either side with old houses, garlands of lurid…
Dhaka
The shady, tranquil botanical gardens, stretch over 40 hectares and contain over 1000 species of local and foreign plants, as well as lots of birdlife…
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Bangladesh
The cool turquoise waters beside the China Clay Hills (really little more than low mounds) make for an extremely photogenic spot, and a lovely place for a…
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Bangladesh
Spread over 10 acres, the rajbari here is a special estate, even in disrepair. The main structure is bedecked with Corinthian columns, high parapets and…
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Bangladesh
For both foreigners as well as Bangladeshi tourists, the white onion-domed shrine of musician and poet Lalon Shah is the main reason for visiting Kushtia…
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Bangladesh
Built only in 1992, St Paul’s is an unusual piece of architecture: a Catholic church disguised as a mosque, with touches of Buddhist artwork. Embroidered…
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Bangladesh
This rarely visited wildlife reserve is home to some of the country’s few remaining wild elephants. Your chances of seeing one of them are slim (the best…
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Dhaka
Housed in a beautiful whitewashed colonial-era building, this small museum chronicles the 1971 War of Independence, one of the 20th century’s more deadly…
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Bangladesh
Particularly atmospheric in the evenings, when dramatically lit and boldly painted launches depart from adjoining ghats, the piers are a wonderful place…
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Bangladesh
A place of active worship, Khan Jahan Ali's Tomb is the only monument in Bagerhat that still retains its original cupolas (domed ceilings). The cenotaph…
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Bangladesh
This ruined 170-sq-m monastery has 115 cells for monks, facing a temple in the centre of the courtyard. The royal copper plates of Deva kings and a…
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Bangladesh
This well-kept building and garden complex was the family home of revered 19th-century Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824–73), who is known to…
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Bangladesh
Kuthibari is the former residence of Bengal’s most famous poet, Rabindranath Tagore. It was built in the mid-19th century and Tagore lived here for over…
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Dhaka
In 1963 the Pakistanis commissioned Louis Kahn, a world-renowned American architect, to design a regional capitol for East Pakistan. Due to the liberation…
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Bangladesh
Built in 1901, this stunning rajbari (Raj-era mansion) is an appropriate building for a folk-art museum, and was undergoing a massive renovation at the…
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Bangladesh
The thin stretch of parkland on the waterfront at the western edge of town makes up one of the most enjoyable public spaces in this part of Bangladesh…
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Bangladesh
A picture of poise and prettiness, this recently restored building belonged to the in-laws of Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It's…
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Dhaka
This dilapidated Mughal-era structure is one of the oldest buildings in Dhaka, although searching for it among the high-walled, pinched alleyways of this…
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Bangladesh
The most accessible of three workshops in the village that have revived the ancient lost-wax technique of making brass and bronze statues. The owner,…
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Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection
Dhaka
This small area is known as Armanitola, and is named after the Armenian colony that settled here in the late 17th century. The white- and lemon-painted…
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Bangladesh
The small Mainimati Museum, adjacent to Salban Vihara, is worth a diversion. The collection includes terracotta plaques, bronze statues, 4th-century…
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Bangladesh
About 3km down the road to Khulna, this quaint and delightful 18th-century temple is certainly worth an excursion out of Jessore's urban mess. Dedicated…
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Dhaka
Dhakeshwari Temple is the centre of the Hindu faith in Bangladesh. It is dedicated to Dhakeswari, the protector of Dhaka and an incarnation of the goddess…
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Bangladesh
Built in 1519, and now virtually hidden behind thick bamboo groves and clusters of mango and jackfruit trees, the graceful, single-domed Goaldi Mosque is…
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Bangladesh
Built between 1905 and 1911, this well-kept former mansion in the city centre is now occupied by an organisation that trains female teachers, but much of…
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Dhaka
A block north of the central jail is Hussaini Dalan, looking more like a Hindu rajbari (landowner’s palace) than an Islamic building. It was built in 1642…
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Bangladesh
Dedicated to the Hindu Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Vishnu, this temple is a unique sight considering that the deity is only rarely worshipped…
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Dhaka
The excellent National Museum, sprawling over several floors, begins with the geological formation of Bangladesh, whisks you through a rundown of the…
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Bangladesh
Located at Rajendrapur, and only one hour north of Dhaka, Bhawal National Park is where city types come to remember what a lungful of fresh country air…
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Bangladesh
This small, neatly arranged museum, located within the grounds of the Shait Gumbad Mosque (admission is covered by the mosque entrance fee), contains…
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Dhaka
Erected in 1706, this Mughal structure is stylistically similar to Lalbagh Fort. It is built on a raised platform, up a flight of 25 steps. Three squat…
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Bangladesh
The original alleyway-riddled core of the town, located between the train station and the waterfront, is a fascinating place in which to get lost. The…
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Dhaka
This unusual mosque, with its striking mosaic decoration, dates from the early 18th century, although it has been radically altered. It was originally…
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Dhaka
Beginning near the Old High Court and stretching all the way to the National Museum, Suhrawardi Park covers an enormous area. This was once a racecourse,…
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Bangladesh
The Gangamati Mangrove Forest is 7km due east along the Kuakata beach. You can rent motorbikes (Tk 500) to get here. You'll be mostly riding on the sands,…
