Star Mosque

The Star Mosque, or Tara Masjid, is a small but dazzling mosque in the Armanitola quarter of Old Dhaka, famous for the carpet of stars that covers it. Its white facade and domes are inlaid with hundreds of blue stars, crescents and floral patterns — a building that rewards a slow, close look amid the dense lanes of the old city.

It is believed to have been built in the first half of the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Pir, a local zamindar. The decoration that made it famous came later: around the 1920s a local businessman, Ali Jan Bepari, funded a renovation that clad the mosque in 'chini-tikri' — mosaics made from broken pieces of china and porcelain — using imported Japanese and English tiles. One celebrated panel even depicts Mount Fuji, a surprising touch in the heart of Dhaka.

Originally a modest three-domed mosque, the building was later expanded; renovations in the 1980s added a larger prayer hall and raised the number of domes to five. The mosaic work continues inside, where the mihrab and interior surfaces carry the same intricate tile and china decoration.

Because it remains an active place of worship, the Star Mosque is best visited respectfully and outside the five daily prayer times. Half an hour is enough to take in the glittering exterior and step into the cool, decorated interior — and it sits close enough to Ahsan Manzil and Lalbagh Fort to fold neatly into a day exploring Old Dhaka.

The mosque is believed to have been built in the first half of the 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Pir (Mirza Ahmed Jan), a local zamindar, as a modest three-domed mosque.

Around the 1920s a businessman, Ali Jan Bepari, funded a major renovation that added the chini-tikri mosaic decoration, using imported Japanese and English china — including a panel depicting Mount Fuji.

Further renovation in the 1980s enlarged the prayer area and increased the number of domes from three to five, while keeping the star-mosaic decoration that gives the mosque its name.

November to February is cool and dry — the most comfortable time to explore the old-city lanes.

Mid-morning, between prayer times, gives both respectful access and the best light on the white-and-blue facade.

March to May is hot, and the monsoon (June to October) brings heavy rain to the narrow lanes.