The old city stretching south of the modern urban core along the Buriganga riverfront — densely packed lanes, faded Mughal and colonial-era buildings, workshops making everything from saris to corrugated iron, and a noise and energy level that makes the rest of Dhaka seem quiet by comparison. Puran Dhaka is the historical heart of the city, settled in the Mughal period when Dhaka was capital of Bengal and one of the wealthiest cities in Asia.
The main sights — Lalbagh Fort, Ahsan Manzil, the Armenian Church, the Star Mosque — are here, but the neighbourhood rewards wandering as much as targeting. Shankhari Bazaar, the historic Hindu area, is a narrow lane of conch-shell and metal craftworkers. The riverfront near Sadarghat, where hundreds of wooden river launches moor and depart, is one of the most visually spectacular scenes in Bangladesh. A full day is not enough.