Archaeological Sites

A selection of Bangladesh's major archaeological and architectural heritage sites.

Somapura Mahavihara, Paharpur

The immense Pala-period Buddhist monastery in Naogaon is one of the most important archaeological monuments south of the Himalayas. Its quadrangular complex contains 177 monastic cells around a courtyard dominated by a central pyramidal temple.

Mahasthangarh

The fortified remains of ancient Pundranagara in Bogura represent one of Bangladesh's earliest known urban archaeological sites, with evidence dating to at least the third century BCE.

Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat

The Sixty Dome Mosque is the largest surviving Sultanate-period mosque in Bangladesh and part of a UNESCO World Heritage setting. Its heavy brick construction, many domes, arches and towers are defining features.

Kantajew Temple

The eighteenth-century temple near Dinajpur is renowned for dense terracotta ornament showing plants, animals, geometric patterns, mythology and scenes of contemporary life.

Wari-Bateshwar

This ancient fortified settlement in Narsingdi has yielded roads, beads, ceramics and other evidence of early urbanisation and long-distance commercial contact dating back more than two millennia.

Sonargaon

The historic city served as a capital and commercial centre of Bengal. Its surviving architecture and the Bangladesh Folk Art and Crafts Museum make it a major cultural destination.

Other notable sites

Ahsan Manzil, Lalbagh Fort, Mainamati, Panam City and the Mughal-era Dhanmondi Eidgah are among the country's other important archaeological and architectural landmarks.

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