Ahsan manzil from old Dhaka

Ahsan Manzil is situated in old part of Dhaka (known as Old Dhaka), just beside the bank of the river Buri Ganga. The construction of the palace was begun in 1859 and completed in 1872. Nawab Abdul Ghani named it Ahsan Manzil after his son Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah. This is one of most famous palace from Bangladesh. If you want to read more about this palace, you can read it from Wikipedia

Ahsan Manzil is a two stored long building (which is one of the most beautiful palaces from Bangladesh) having a very wide staircase. When it was initially built the staircase was just beside the bank of the river. But in current days the river has moved a bit further. Now a days the building is organized as a museum which displaces plenty of used stuffs from the Nawab family. Ahsan Manzil museum is rich with collections and takes a bit of time to explore and understand.

A stair to go upper floor of Ahsan Manzil. But it was only being in use in past, not in current days.

How to Go:

Ahsan Manzil is located at the Old Dhaka (at Islampur). It is quite impossible to go there using private vehicles. It is always suggested to take rickshaw to go there (or walk through the old town). Take a rickshaw from Motijheel area and they should be able to drop you in front of the palace gate. If they do not know abut the Ahsan Manzil then ask them to drop you at Islampur Bazar. Ask anyone from the Islampur to show you direction. GPS coordinate of the location is (23°42’30.6″N, 90°24’21.7″E).

Opening and Closing time:

This place is closed in Thursday. In Friday it’s open from 3-5pm, and any other days it’s open from 9-5pm. But at summer time (after April), it uses to be open till 6:00pm. So before visiting the place, make sure you know about the timing of open/close.

A colorful art on glass at the door.

Entry fee:

It is only two Taka per person to enter the Ahsan Manzil. Using the same ticket you can visit the Museum too. So it’s really cheap. For foreigners it might be slightly higher but should be cheap enough.