Hazrat Shahjalal Rah. Mazar Sharif

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Perched on a low hillock in the Dargah Mahalla quarter of Sylhet, the Shah Jalal Dargah is the largest and most visited religious site in Bangladesh. The blue-and-white painted shrine marks the resting place of Hazrat Shah Jalal, the 14th-century Sufi saint traditionally credited with bringing Islam to the region, and for nearly seven centuries it has drawn pilgrims of many faiths to the same quiet, hallowed ground.↗↗↗

Beyond its spiritual gravity, the complex rewards a slow wander. Inside the walled compound you pass through a grand gate into a broad plaza, climb a flight of steps to the saint's open-roofed tomb shaded by a cloth canopy, admire domed Mughal mosques, and watch hundreds of sacred catfish glide in the shrine tank while the courtyard fills with the so-called Jalali pigeons. Admission is free and the gates stand open around the clock.↗↗↗