The existence of a settlement in the area that is now Dhaka dates from the 7th century. The city area was ruled by the Buddhist kingdom of
The development of townships and housing has resulted in a significant growth in population came as the city was proclaimed the capital (replacing
Many of the British and Mughal era buildings of old Dhaka face the risk of being knocked down to be replaced with modern apartment buildings. Conservationist are trying to preserve them but the government of Bangladesh has shown little interest in preserving them.[23] [24] The government declared Shankhari Bazaar a heritage site in 2013, which met resistance from the residents who wanted to expand the buildings.[25] In 2014 a mosque built in 1707 was demolished leading to controversy and criticism.[26] Government run schools are in a depleted condition in Old Dhaka as of 2015.[27] In 2016 the three hundred-year-old Gorostan Shahi Mosque was demolished to build a new structure.[28] Many of the buildings are demolished because RAJUK and the Archaeological Department of the government did not list them as historical buildings which would have protected them.[29]
Sadarghat is the river terminal of Dhaka City. Shankhari Bazaar is a historically Hindu neighborhood known for its Shakhari (
conch musical instrument ) makers.
[30] The Shakhari also make
bangles from the shells. The shops are in decline as many news to buy cheaper bangles made from artificial shell.
[31] Northbrook Hall auditorium was founded in 1881; it holds art exhibitions.
[32] Pohela Falgun is celebrated in old Dhaka.
[33] Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts is a historic art school in Old Dhaka.
[34] The
Dhaka Central Jail , which has been closed down now houses a museum.
[35] The jail was founded in 1788 as a criminal ward. when it closed in 2016 it housed over 8 thousand prisoners.
[36] Shakrain is a festival of kite in Old Dhaka. It marks the end of
Poush , the first month of winter in Bangladesh.
[37] It also involves rooftop parties,
fire-breathing , and fireworks.
[38] Bongshal Pond is Tanti Bazaar is a community pool and gathering spot.
[39] Chaand Raat (the night before eid) is celebrated here with fireworks and Adda (hangout).
[40] Taazia processions are held by
Shia Muslims on the occasion of Muharram near
Hossaaini and
Barha Katra .
[4] There are 12 musical schools in Old Dhaka.
[41] Old Dhaka has a sense of community where neighbors know each other and that differentiat it from new Dhaka.
[42] During Durge Puja some parts of Old Dhaka are brightly decorated and people play drums in the streets.
[43]
Food
Old Dhaka is famous for its kebabs.
[44] Morog (Chicken)
polau is set apart from traditional biriyani in its use of turmeric and
malai (cream of milk) together.
[45] An old specialty is
bakarkhani with
‘kata moshlar mangsho' is meat cooked with whole spices not powder or paste.
Farukul er muri (puffed rice) a venture that started in the 1980s.
[44] Other well known dishes include "glassy beef" which is beef with a thick layer of oil on top giving it a glassy appearance.
Sheer khorma is a desert item that uses a variety of nuts.
Nihari and
kacchi biryani are
Mughal dishes famous in old Dhaka.
[46] Kazi Alauddin Road and
Chawkbazar are known for their road side stalls selling traditional
iftar items during
Ramadan .
[47] [48] Boro baper polay khai , made with minced meat, chick peas, eggs, potatoes and 13 different spices, is a Ramadan specialty.
[49] Faluda is a traditional
iftar desert and
lassi is a specialty drink.
[50] Shab-e-Barat is celebrated with
roti with
Halwa , ornate breads, and breads shaped like fish.
[51] Kala Bhuna , a beef dish, was created in Old Dhaka and is a speciality of the area.
[52] Old Dhaka is home to the historic
Prince of Wales bakery , established in the 1850s in Lakshmi Bazaar by a man from
Wales . The bakery has been owned by three generations of the same family.
[53]
Local famous foods are:
Haji Biriyani
Bakarkhani
Beauty Lachchi
Royel Nehari
Nawab Kachchi
Sports
Farashganj SC founded in 1959 and Rahmatganj MFS founded in 1933 are two major Old Dhaka-based association football teams.[54] East End Sporting Club is one of the top clubs in Dhaka producing players like Aminul Islam Bulbul .
Education
The area has well known schools like
Languages
There are two languages
Mujahir community. It is a dialect of
Urdu .
Economy
Dholaikhal in old Dhaka has large number of light engineering firms. The government is also trying to remove chemical factories from Old Dhaka.[57] Counterfeit cosmetics for Dhaka are made in neighborhoods in Old Dhaka.[58]
Neighborhoods
Administration
Old Dhaka consists of 8 metropolitan
on the south.
Government
Lalbagh Qila
Old Dhaka falls under the control Dhaka South City Corporation. Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh is the mayor of the city corporation.[59]
Landmarks
Beauty Boarding
Armenian Church
List of landmarks in this region:
Greek monument in Dhaka University with the preserved nine gravestones of the old Greek Community.[60]
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.[61]
Lalbagh Fort
Chowk Bazaar Shai Mosque
Dhakeshwari Temple is the national temple of Bangladesh, it was built in the 12th century.[62]
Hussaini Dalan
Armenian Church the Church was built in 1798 by the Armenian community in Dhaka.
[63] [30]
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.[61]
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.
[64]
Ahsan Manzil was the former residence of the Nawab of Dhaka . It was nationalized in 1952 and turned into museum.[65]
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.[61]
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.
[61]
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.[66]
.
Gallery
Traditional Iftaari of Chowkbazar
Sheek Kebab
Bakarkhani
Pohela Boishakh in Bahadur Shah Park
Shakrain (
Poush Sangkranti )
Traditional TomTom
Main Entrance of Mitford Hospital
A building of Old Dhaka
Sadarghat, Part of Old Dhaka
Alley in Old Dhaka
Dhaka Central Jail, Old Dhaka
Rose Garden Palace
See also
References
External links