Ahsan Manzil, situated on the banks of the river Buriganga was the residential palace and official seat of the Nawab family of Dhaka. The palace was a very important place during the middle of the 18^th century to the beginning of the 19^th century.  At present the palace is reserved as a museum.

Construction:

Ahsan Manjil, the palace, was constructed in between 1859 to 1872. The palace was named after Nawab Khjawa Ahsanullah. At first the palace was mainly used as Rang Mahal (Dance Palace). In the year 1888 a tonado hit the palace and caused great damage to the Andar Mahal (Inner Hall) of the palace. Later it was repaired and an exquisite dome was added to it. But the palace was again damaged by an earthquake in 1897 and was reconstructed once again.

Architectural Analysis:

Ahsan Manzil is one of the most important and most beautiful architectural structures in Bangladesh. The structure is built on a raised platform of 1 meter. The structure measures 125.4 m by 28.75 m. The palace is two-storied and the height of the ground floor is 5 meters and the first floor 5.8 meters.

There are porticoes the height of the ground floor, both on the northern and southern sides of the palace. An open spacious stairway comes down from the southern portico, extending onto the bank of the river Buriganga through the front garden. There was once a fountain in the garden in front of the stairs which does not exist today. The spacious north and south verandas of both the floors rest on semicircular arches. The verandas and rooms are covered with marble stones.

To construct the dome of Ahshan Manzil, the square room on the ground floor was given a round shape with brickwork in the corners. The room was then given an octagonal shape near the roof. This octagonal shape took the form of the drum of the dome. Finally, the kumud kali (buds of lotus) shaped dome was constructed by gradually slanting the eight corners to the peak. The dome is 27.13 m above the ground.

Renovation:

Recognizing the historical and architectural importance of the Ahsan Manzil, the government of Bangladesh took the initiative to renovate it. The renovation work started in 1985 and completed in 1992 under the supervision of the Directorate of Public Works and Architecture. The palace was then taken under the control of Bangladesh National Museum (20 September 1992). Then a museum was established there.

Tourism and Accessibility:

Ahsan Manjil remains open for tourists six days a week in day time except for Thursday. Here goes the map.

Reference: Wikipedia

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