page_title: Old Dhaka
section_title: Landmarks
hierarchical_section_title: Old Dhaka / Landmarks
caption_attribution_description: Two century old Armenian Church in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. My students "Arafat &amp; Hossien" helped me to take this picture.
context_page_description: Old Dhaka is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangir Nagar, the capital of Mughal Bengal. It is located on the banks of the Buriganga River. It was one of the largest and most prosperous cities of South Asia and the center of the worldwide muslin trade. The then Nawab of Bengal Murshid Quli Khan shifted the capital from Dhaka to Murshidabad in the early-18th century. With the rise of Calcutta during the British rule, Dhaka began to decline and came to be known as the "City of Magnificent Ruins". The British however began to develop the modern city from the mid-19th century.
  Old Dhaka is famous for its variety of foods and amicable living of people of all religions in harmony. The main Muslims festivals celebrated with funfair here are Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha and Muharram, Hindu festivals like Durga Puja, Kali Puja, and Saraswati Puja are also celebrated with enthusiasm. The festivals which are celebrated by all religious communities with much splendor include "Shakrain", Pohela Falgun, and "Halkhata".
context_section_description: List of landmarks in this region:
  Greek monument in Dhaka University with the preserved nine gravestones of the old Greek Community.
  Northbrook Hall (Lal kuthi) built during the British Raj period to host the reception of the Viceroy of India Lord Northbrook. It has both Mughal and European architectural elements in its design.
  Lalbagh Fort
  Chowk Bazaar Shai Mosque
  Dhakeshwari Temple is the national temple of Bangladesh, it was built in the 12th century.
  Hussaini Dalan
  Armenian Church the Church was built in 1798 by the Armenian community in Dhaka.
  Mitford Hospital was built in the mid 1800s on land donated by Robert Mitford, who was a Tax collector of Dhaka. Before the establishment of the hospital, this land was the site of the Dutch settlement and trading post.
  Tara mosque (the Star Mosque)- The mosque was built in 1711 by Mirza Gulam Pir, a Mughal landlord. The domes of the mosque were made with imported marbles from India.In 1926 Ali Jaan Bepari, a merchant, important China clay to renovate the mosque. The mosque has a star shaped fountain and the china clay with star shaped patterns. The china clay is unique among mosques in Bangladesh.
  Ahsan Manzil was the former residence of the Nawab of Dhaka. It was nationalized in 1952 and turned into museum.
  Bara Katra was built by Prince Shah Shuja, son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1644. He was the Mughal Governor of Bengal. He never lived in the palace which functioned as a guesthouse.
  Choto Katra was built by another Mughal governor Shaista Khan in 1663. The interior houses the tomb of Chompa bibi after home the locality Champatoli is named.
  Rose Garden Palace - The palace was built by Hrishikesh Das. He was lower caste Hindu Zamidar, who built this palace after being insulted by a higher caste Hindu in a party. He sold the mansion in 1936 to Khan Bahadur Kazi Abdur Rashid, whose family sold it to the government.
  Ramakrishna Temple - Built in 1916 by Swami Brahmananda, first president of the influential Hindu religious and spiritual organisation Ramakrishna Mission.
caption: Armenian Church
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