Bagerhat
Introduction
Bagerhat is a city in southern Bangladesh and the headquarters of Bagerhat district. It sits on the banks of the Bhairab river, and it is close to the old city of Khalifatabad, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting there
Bagerhat is reached most easily from Khulna, where local buses make the run regularly and take about 45 minutes. The journey is short enough to manage as a half-day trip, though you may prefer to stay longer given how much there is to see.
Mongla is also connected to Bagerhat, requiring only slightly more effort than the Khulna route. If you are coming from the coast or the port area, this gives you a second option for arriving by road.
Getting around
Bagerhat is compact and its main sights are strung along a single road, so getting around is simple. From the bus stand, head west along the main road toward the monuments. It is a fairly nice walk, with the one drawback being the fast, honking buses that share the route. The first sight you will come to is the dargah; start asking around for it after roughly the first stretch of the walk. Shait Gumbad Mosque lies a further distance west along the main road from the dargah turnoff. If you are not in a hurry, walking is a reasonable and rewarding option.
Cycle-rickshaws are the local short-hop transport and the easiest alternative to walking, a good choice if you are carrying bags, travelling with children, or simply want to save your legs for the monuments. Agree on the fare before you set off, as is standard practice, and carry small change for rickshaw fares and bus tickets. There is no rail, metro, or tram network to speak of, so buses do the heavy lifting: local buses connect the city with Khulna regularly, a short and cheap journey, and Bagerhat is also connected to Mongla, though reaching it takes slightly more effort. Buses are also the main way of moving along the main road through town, which is why the roadside walk comes with a fair amount of traffic noise. The source material does not describe a taxi or ride-hailing presence, so treat cycle-rickshaws and buses as your realistic options and plan around walking for the final stretch to the monuments.
Where to stay
There's little reason to spend the night in Bagerhat. The sights can be seen in an hour or two, and both Khulna and Mongla are close enough to serve as bases. If you do need to stay, you'll find a couple of lackluster budget hotels just north of the bus stand near the river.
- Budget hotels north of the bus stand, near the river — basic, no-frills options if you must stay the night
Food & drink
For meals, your options in Bagerhat are limited to basic dhabas, found near the bus stand and near the dargah. These serve the standards, so expect simple, familiar fare rather than a wide menu. It is worth taking a quick look at the food and the premises before you settle on one. The source lists no drink options for the city, so plan your hydration accordingly.What to see and do
Bagerhat's main draw is its historic mosques, above all Shait Gumbad Mosque, whose name means "Mosque of 60 domes" even though it actually carries 77. Built in the mid-16th century, it ranks among the country's finest mosques, though if you have already seen mosques of the same period in India, Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan you may find it underwhelming. Foreigners are charged an admission that also covers the onsite museum, and the staff are not known for their warmth — arrive around lunchtime and you may find the museum closed to you, and you will still pay the mosque admission even if you skip it. South of the main road, roughly four kilometres from the bus station, the Mazar Khan Jahan Ali is the area's major pilgrimage site, drawing hundreds of visitors daily to the tomb of one of the country's more famous holy men. As at most dargahs, the tomb is draped in colourful cloth, and women must pay their respects from the courtyard outside. Several other mosques sit along or just off the main road on the five-kilometre stretch west of the bus stand; most are single-domed and peaceful, worth a look only if you have a particular interest in mosques of this style and period.Three days in Bagerhat
Day one: Base yourself in Bagerhat, the town at the heart of the old city of Khalifatabad, and start with Shait Gumbad Mosque, the most imposing of the historic mosques here. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its monuments are the reason most travellers come. Buses run from Khulna, and you can also arrive via Mongla. Several of the mosques stand close enough together to see on foot, so take your time rather than rushing between them.
Day two: Continue among the mosques of Khalifatabad, which were built in the Bengal style you will not find in India, Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan. Foreigners are welcome at these sites, and the atmosphere is calm. Cycle if you prefer to cover more ground, or agree a fare with a local driver. In the south of the town, the Mazar Khan Jahan Ali is the other essential stop, and it draws pilgrims as well as visitors.
Day three: Use Bagerhat as a base for the wider area. From here you can reach Khulna, the nearest city, or head to Mongla and the edge of the Bhairab. If you have time, return to Shait Gumbad Mosque in the early morning, when it is quietest. Budget travellers will find the town easy to manage on foot and by cycle, and three days is enough to see the main monuments without hurrying.