Lalbagh Fort

Prince Muhammad Azam Shah began the fort in 1678 and was called away by his father some fifteen months later, and his successor Shaista Khan continued it until his daughter Pari Bibi died on the site in 1684, after which work stopped and the fort was considered unlucky and never completed. What stands is three main buildings in a walled garden: the tomb of Pari Bibi, faced in marble and black basalt with an octagonal chamber, the Diwan-i-Aam or audience hall with a hammam attached, and a mosque of three domes, arranged around water channels and fountains that were part of the original Mughal garden plan and have been partly restored. It is one of the few open green spaces in Old Dhaka and it is used as such.

History

Prince Muhammad Azam Shah, third son of Aurangzeb, began the fort, then called Fort Aurangabad, in 1678 during his 15 months as viceroy of Bengal, and left it unfinished when his father recalled him. The governor Shaista Khan did not complete it either, for after his daughter Iran Dukht Pari Bibi died here in 1684 he thought the fort unlucky, and she was buried inside it; once the capital moved from Dhaka to Murshidabad the fort was abandoned, and in 1844 the area took the name Lalbagh (Wikipedia, Lalbagh Fort).

What to look for

• The tomb of Pari Bibi - marble and black basalt over an octagonal chamber.
• The audience hall and hammam - the governor's building with its bath.
• A three-domed mosque - the surviving prayer hall in the enclosure.
• Restored water channels - the Mughal garden layout across the ground.

When to go

November to March, which is the dry cool season and the only comfortable time in Dhaka. Two hours. Closed on some days and half-days; Fridays have restricted hours. Mornings are cooler and quieter.

Things to know

It was never finished, so it is three buildings in a garden rather than a fort in any military sense. Interpretation is limited. It is crowded at weekends with Dhaka families. Getting there through Old Dhaka traffic takes far longer than the distance suggests.

Nearby

The Star Mosque and Ahsan Manzil are in the old city; Sadarghat lies south.

Key facts