Architectural Styles
Bengali
Alt names / subperiods
Timeline
Distinguishing Features
Geographic Presence
1200-1576
- Terracotta work
- domes (chhatris)
- elongated arches
- curvilinear rooflines
- tall multi-level structures
- raised platforms (paka)
- wide verandahs & balconies
- local materials in rural areas (bamboo, mud, thatch)
- central courtyards
- Hindu temples with elaborate sculptures
- mosques with minarets & intricate calligraphy,
- British colonial influence (large porticos & columns)
- Indo-Saracenic style
- cultural symbolism in bright colours
- elevated riverside buildings
- ventilation & shade protection
- Bangladesh
- West Bengal
- Kolkata
- Dhaka
- Chittagong
Common Building Types
Landmark buildings
Historic Accommodation Types
Accommodation Examples
- Terracotta temples
- large anceatral homes (zamindar/chowdhury)
- Dhakka mosques
- palaces
- Victoria Memorial in Kolkata
- riverside homes with steps (ghats)
- riverside pavilions (baithaks)
- Adina Mosque, Chandraketugar
- Kushumba Mosque
- Bara Sona Mosque, Firoz Minar
- Gulbarga Mosque, Khan Jaha
- Ali’s Mosques
- Sixty Dome Mosque (Shat Gombuj Masjid)
- Mosque of Shah Jahan
- Bagerhat’s Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali
- Sarais / katras (caravanserais)
- Dharmashalas
- Zamindar Estates
- Heritage Homes
- Rajmahal / Gaur–Pandua region sarais
- Bara Katra Caravanserai, Dhaka (1644)
- Choto Katra Caravanserai, Dhaka (mid 17th C)
Adaptive Reuse
- Bari Kothi (Murshidabad, West Bengal)
- Rajbari Bawali (Near Kolkata, West Bengal)
- Itachuna Rajbari (Hooghly district, West Bengal)
- Balakhana Heritage Home (Bandel, West Bengal)
- Chhatimtara (Shantiniketan, West Bengal)
Landmarks
Adapted Visitor Accommodation