1863 vs 2024: Comparing 2 visuals of a Mughal mosque in Dhaka

Just a few minutes' away from Lalbagh Fort, there is the splendid Khan Muhammad Mirdha Mosque. Built in the early 18th century, this is an Old Dhaka gem!

The main prayer hall sits on a raised platform, which can be accessed through an elegant stairway. And once on the platform, you have in front of you the beautiful three-domed structure, which is a quintessential element of Mughal mosques in our city.

There is an old painting of the mosque, from the year 1863, titled "Ruined Mosque – Dacca." The watercolour was made by Frederick William Alexander de Fabeck, who was a doctor (assistant surgeon) during the British colonial era in Bengal.  

Fabeck made a number of artworks depicting Dhaka, such as a beautiful watercolour of Buriganga, which we have featured earlier.

Back to the mosque, the illustration above brings together the 1863 painting and a present-day photograph taken from a similar vantage point. What differences can you spot?

Sources: Victoria and Albert Museum website; "Dacca: A Record of its Changing Fortunes" by Ahmad Hasan Dani