Historical and Archaeological Sites

As a former part of India, Bangladesh is rich in historical and archaeological wealth, especially from the medieval period. History shows us that Bengal (of which Bangladesh is the eastern part) is a melting pot of several races. Before the 6th century, Bengal was subdivided in three regions and ruled by Hindu and Buddhist kings. However, in the mid 6th century Buddhist rulers became powerful and ruled the entire region. During this period, a large number of Buddhist and Hindu cultural institutions were established in the region. The Muslims arrived in the 11th century and established Muslim religious, socio-economic, and cultural institutions. Then came the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Armenians, and finally the British. They all added to the great archaeological and historical value that we now witness in Bangladesh. The major archaeological and historical sites are:

Paharpur Buddhist Monastery: This is known as the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalayas. Situated at the northwest part of Bangladesh, Paharpur (a hillock residence) is a 7th-century Buddhist temple with a pyramidal cruciform structure, housing 77 residential cells for Buddhist monks (students), profoundly influenced by those of Southeast Asia.

Excavated by the Veranda (early name of the region) Research Museum and the University of Calcutta in 1923, the British government declared Paharpur Monastery a protected monument. A resourceful site museum has been built to get a glance of the contemporary socio-cultural phenomenon. It is a great place for researchers, students, Buddhists and tourists alike.
 

Mahasthangarh: This site bears witness to an ancient city state known as Pundranagara, a socio-cultural and administrative city of several Hindu and Buddhist rulers of the 6th to 7th centuries. Exhibits include a collection of socio-economic and cultural artifacts such as sculptures, epigraphs, coins, paintings, manuscripts, jewelry, and terracotta pieces displayed in the site museum. These depict the colorful life and culture of this ancient city state. Situated at the northwest region close to the Paharpur Monastery, this ruin of an ancient civilization is regularly visited by hundreds of historians, archaeologists, students, and tourists.

Mainamati: Situated in the district of Camilla, a 3-hour drive to the east from the capital city Dhaka, Mainamati is a picturesque relic of a unique Buddhist religious and cultural institution. The site is comprised of a school located in the middle of a stepped-top hillock. The school is surrounded by 115 cells of residential student rooms and a temple at the entry gate. The temple (stupa) walls are ornamented with representations of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, the Buddhist trinity. The archaeological site is rich with collections which are displayed in the site museum. There the visitor can examine stupas, copper plates, gold and silver coins, and hundreds of bronze objects, sculptures, terracotta pieces, and statues. Again, this is particularly interesting for historians, archaeologists, students, and groups studying the Buddhist Religion.

Mughol Fort: Commonly known as the “Lalbag Fort,” the Mughol Fort is situated in the old part of the capital city Dhaka and represents a Mughol prince’s unfulfilled dream. It is a typical palace fortress containing palatial edifices surrounded by a defensive enclosure. It consists of guard rooms, an arms and ammunitions room, an audience hall, the tomb of Bibi Pari (beautiful daughter)—which resembles the Taj Mahal in India—
the hammam khana (royal bath in Mughol style), a mughol mosque, etc. The fortress is surrounded by a beautiful garden. A large number of city dwellers, including expatriates, visit the site everyday. The museum located in the audience hall depicts the socio-cultural stamps of the Mughol dynasty.
 

Sonargaon: About 30 km east of the present-day capital city Dhaka, Sonargaon is the ancient capital of Bengal. In the 13th century this city was established as the administrative capital of the Muslim Sultanate. The main building of the ancient government has become the Bangladesh Folk Art Museum depicting scenes of ancient Bengal culture. The chief attraction of the site is the ancient city Panam adjacent to the museum. A place of historical interest Sonargaon is visited by hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists everyday.

Shatgumbaj Mosque (Sixty-Dome Mosque): An administrative cum religious building founded by the Mughol warrior who later became the Muslim saint Ulugh Khan Jahan, is a vivid example of 15th-century Muslim architecture. The saint founded a city known as Bagerhat (the tiger market) situated in the southern part of the country at the mouth of the Ganges on the seacoast.

Kantanagar Temple: Built in 1752 by a Hindu landlord, it is the most ornate among the late-medieval Hindu temples of Bangladesh. Kantanagar is a most expressive monument fully covered and decorated with terracotta plaques depicting the social life of late medieval aristocrats. Being a religious edifice of the late medieval cultural heritage of Bangladesh, people still worship and perform rituals on a daily basis

Besides all of the above, there are many other relics of historical and cultural heritage that can be viewed on the way to these major destinations.