THE KATRAS

The katras are caravanserais, or buildings intended to host merchants or pilgrims. In square or rectangular form, they often had shops on the ground floor and rooms on the floor, all ordered around an inner courtyard. The name would come from Arabic «katara» which designates a building in columns. There are two vestiges of katras in its old town, south of Chowk Bazar. Many buildings have been built on their ruins and only a few portions appear, which must be looked for.

Bara Katra: built between 1644 and 1646 by Shah Shuja, the second son of the Mughal Emperor Jahan. He had planned to make his residence in Dhaka, but gave it to the architect. Bara means "large". The building architecture respects the usual plan of caravanserais in Central Asia: a square courtyard surrounded by shops and surmounted by 22 cells in each wing. Access was made by two majestic doors in the north and south walls. You can always see the southern door by lifting your nose.

Choto Katra: the "small" katra to Dhaka's governor, Shaista Khan, who made the mausoleum at Pari Bibi at the fort of Lalbagh. Choto Katra dates back to 1663 and was intended to host official visiting personalities and distant members of the governor's family. The plan is similar to that of Bara Katra, albeit slightly smaller. It also included a mausoleum, of which nothing remains today. The building served as a school under the British Empire, before falling into désuétude. As with Bara Katra, the Department of Archaeology tried to undertake a restoration of the building, without success, in response to the resistance of the owners.