Ahsan Manzil Palace

Bangladesh is a country of bright colors. No wonder one of the main attractions of the capital is the pink Ahsan Manzil Palace. It is unusual and attractive and looks like the residence of fairy-tale queens.

Previously, there was a small but very beautiful palace. It was built in 1872 and became the residence of the rulers of Dhaka. First, there were the Sheikhs, then – the French. Each new owner of the palace changed it, added new buildings and gardens to the complex. So it was growing and becoming more attractive and luxurious.

Unfortunately, there was a devastating tornado in Dhaka in 1888. The natural disaster caused great damage to the Ahsan Manzil Palace. Therefore, it was abandoned for a long time.

Reconstruction of the building began only in the second half of the 20th century. The architects did their best to preserve the original style of the complex, the Indo-Saracen Reviva. And they succeeded!

Today, Ahsan Manzil is a luxurious palace striking with its grandeur. Although It may seem that this is a multi-story building, in fact, it is not. The palace has only two floors, but the height of each of them is more than five meters! Side facades are decorated with large terraces and elegant porticos. There is also another interesting feature of the design: the stairs to the main entrance allow you to immediately get to the second floor.

The engineers preserved not only the original appearance of the Ahsan Manzil Palace, but also its layout. The entire building is divided into two parts: one contained the library, rooms of the palace owners, a card room, a dining room with a unique mosaic floor, the other – a ballroom, servants’ rooms, and several guest rooms. And the main part of the palace under the large dome is occupied by a spacious living room.

The Ahsan Manzil Palace houses the National Museum of Bangladesh.