Old Dhaka

Old Dhaka, or Puran Dhaka, is the historic core of the capital — a dense, vibrant maze of narrow lanes that has been a centre of trade and culture for more than four hundred years. Founded as the Mughal provincial capital of Jahangir Nagar in 1610, it is the best place to feel the full, unfiltered energy of Bangladesh.

Mughal-era landmarks anchor the area. The unfinished seventeenth-century Lalbagh Fort, with the tomb of Pari Bibi at its heart, sits behind formal gardens; the elegant pink Ahsan Manzil, once the riverside residence of the Nawabs of Dhaka, now houses a museum; and the dazzling Star Mosque is covered in chinitikri mosaics of broken china that form glittering star motifs.

Down on the water, Sadarghat is one of the busiest river ports in the world. The constant churn of launches, porters and passengers along the Buriganga is a spectacle in itself, and a short boat ride offers a memorable view of the old city from the river.

Above all, Old Dhaka is about flavour. Generations-old biryani houses, fragrant morog polao, flaky bakarkhani bread and the famous Beauty Lacchi draw food lovers into lanes that come alive in the evening — and during Ramadan the Chawkbazar iftar market becomes a legend of its own.

Dhaka rose to prominence in 1610 when the Mughal governor Islam Khan made it the provincial capital, naming it Jahangir Nagar after the emperor. As a hub of the muslin trade and river commerce, the city flourished, and its forts, palaces, mosques and caravanserais date largely from this era of prosperity.

Lalbagh Fort was begun in the 1670s but never completed; the death of Pari Bibi, daughter of the Mughal governor Shaista Khan, is often linked to the project being abandoned, and her tomb remains its centrepiece.

Later centuries layered on new chapters — the Nawabs of Dhaka built Ahsan Manzil on the riverfront, Armenian traders raised their church in Armanitola in 1781, and the old artisan streets of Shankhari Bazar and Tanti Bazar preserve crafts and communities that have lived here for generations.

November–February: the most comfortable months, cool and dry — ideal for walking the lanes.

March–May: hot and humid; explore early in the morning to avoid the worst heat.

Ramadan: the Chawkbazar iftar market is a remarkable food spectacle in the late afternoon, though daytime dining is limited.