Bangladesh is the name of a small country about one-fifth the size of California and the neighbor of India. Bangladesh got its independence from Pakistan in 1971 and yet in such a short period of time, made itself a place filled with wonderful features such as art, culture and history. The experience of my first visit to the Lalbagh Kella Fort, one of the most visited places there by the locals and tourists was somewhat unforgettable and makes me wonder how art was and still is an important part of our world history.Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh and next to its popular Buriganga River lies the Lalbagh Kella Fort. The incomplete Mughal palace was established in 1678 by prince Muhammad Azam, who was recalled my Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jahan who built the world known famous Taj Mahal situated in India. Prince Azam's successor Shaista Khan was in charge of completing the palace but for some reason couldn't. The palace consists of three parts, the Mosque, the Tomb of Bibi Pari(daughter of Shaista Khan) and the Diwan-i-Aam. The designs on the buildings are very beautiful and reminds me of the Mesoamerican Pyramids and how people back than gave such importance to the exteriors of a building rather than how people mostly care about the design on the interior these days.
Just outside the palace is a small museum where all the valuable precious items are kept from the palace. Among the few items that the museum consists of are words written in Arabic on stone slabs, swords from original battles during that time and vases given to the royal family from other visiting countries such as China. Like how they used to keep tombs in Mesoamerica inside pyramids, there is a tomb of Bibi Pari who died inside the palace. The vases from visiting China shows its similarity to that of foreigners visiting a city of the Zapotec.From art we can learn so many things about our past cultures and what they believed in. I am very curious about one thing and want to ask everyone who is reading this information about why now in the 21st century people are more concerned about the interior of their building rather than the unique architectural design outside. I think that a building itself can define a person and their artistic ability. I have visited Lalbagh Kella quite a while ago but it never occurred to me that the way the palace was built and the arts on its walls might represent a special meaning about the people who lived inside it until I learned about the meaning of the Mesoamerican art history.
Ahsan Manzil Museum: On the bank of the river Buriganga in Dhaka the pink majestic Ashan Manzil has been renovated and turned into a museum recently. It is an epitome of the nation's rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. Today's renovated Ahsan Manzil is a monument of immense historical beauty. If has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries in 31 rooms displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab.
Sonargaon: About 29 km from Dhaka, Sonargaon is one of the oldest capitals of Bengal. It was the seat of Deva Dynasty until the 13th century. From then onward till the advent of the Maghals, Sonargaon was a subsidiary capital of the Sultanate of Bangal. Among the ancient monuments still intact are the Tomb of Sultan Ghiasuddin (1399-1409 A.D.), the shrines of Panjpirs and Shah Abdul Alla and a beautiful mosque in Goaldi village. A folk-art Museum has been established at Sonargaon.
National Martyrs' Memorial :
Bangladesh High Court :
Chittagong Airport :
