Rajshahi

One of the finest surviving Bengal Sultanate mosques, built in 930 AH (1523/24 CE) by Sultan Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah. Walls inside and out carry terracotta floral and fruit motifs; the mosque has ten domes beside an old lake, rebuilt after the 1897 earthquake destroyed the originals. It is still used for worship.

The largest cluster of historic Hindu temples in Bangladesh, built by the zamindars of the Puthia Raj family. The terracotta-decorated Pancha Ratna Govinda Temple, Bara Anhik, Jagannath (Rath) Temple and Bangladesh's largest Shiva temple stand around the Shyam Sagar lake, beside the 1895 Puthia Rajbari palace. It is the classic day trip from Rajshahi city.

Rajshahi has been a silk-weaving centre for centuries; Rajshahi silk received geographical indication (GI) status in 2021. Showrooms and handloom workshops in the city sell silk saris and three-piece sets directly to visitors. This is not a single monument but a city-wide craft tradition — allow half a day for shopping and workshop visits.

Founded in 1910, it is considered the oldest museum in Bangladesh. Its galleries hold Pala- and Sena-era Buddhist and Hindu stone sculpture from the Varendra region, inscriptions in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and old Bengali, and a gallery on indigenous and tribal culture. It sits inside Rajshahi city, so it fits easily into a half-day city itinerary.