Lalbagh Fort (Dhaka)

Bangladesh / Dhaka / Dhaka
 museum, place with historical importance, fortification
Lalbagh Fort
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Coordinates: 23°43.16′N 90°23.26′E / 23.71933°N 90.38767°E / 23.71933; 90.38767

Lalbagh Fort (Bengali: লালবাগ দূর্গ) (also known as "Fort Aurangabad") is an incomplete Mughal palace fortress at the Buriganga River in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was commenced in 1678 by Prince Muhammad Azam during his 15-month long vice-royalty of Bengal, but before the work could complete, he was recalled by Aurangzeb. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not complete the work, though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688. His daughter Iran Dukht nicknamed bibi pari (Lady Fairy) died here in 1684 and this led him to consider the fort to be ominous.

The fort was long considered to be a combination of three buildings:

the mosque;
the tomb of Bibi Pari; and
the Diwan-i-Aam, comprising two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall.

Recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh revealed the existence of other structures, and it is now possible to have a more or less complete picture of the fort.

In the present fort area of 18 acres (73,000 m²), excavations have revealed the remains of either 26 or 27 structures, with elaborate arrangements for water supply, sewerage, roof gardens, and fountains. With the decline of Muslim power in Bengal, due to lack of maintenance the fort fell into a ruinous state. Renovation work by the Bangladesh Archaeology Department has now put Lalbagh Fort in a much-improved shape, and it has now become an interesting spot for tourists and visitors.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalbagh_Fort
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   23°43'7"N   90°23'17"E

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This article was last modified 9 years ago