Ahsan Manzil

Ahsan Manzil was built between 1859 and 1872 as the residence of the Nawab family of Dhaka, a long two-storey building in Indo-Saracenic style painted pink, with a broad flight of steps down to the Buriganga, a wide veranda on both floors and a dome over the centre that is the landmark of the old city waterfront. The family were the leading figures in Dhaka in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the house was the centre of the city's political and social life; a number of decisions that shaped Bengal were taken in its rooms. It was restored in the 1980s and opened as a museum, with about two dozen rooms furnished and displays on the family and the period.

What you actually see

• The pink riverfront facade - the long two-storey front above the Buriganga.
• The central dome - the landmark over the old city waterfront.
• Furnished nawabi rooms - about two dozen restored and displayed.
• The river steps - the flight down to the water from the terrace.

When to go

November to March. Two hours. It closes on Thursdays and has restricted Friday hours. Mornings are cooler. The river frontage is best seen from a boat on the Buriganga.

Honest expectations

The restoration is thorough and much of the interior is reconstruction. Photography inside is restricted. The Buriganga in front is heavily polluted and the smell is noticeable. Old Dhaka traffic makes the approach slow.

Nearby

Sadarghat river port is a short walk; the Star Mosque lies north.