The great gate
White and blue under small domes.
Anjon singha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kryesmin — CC0 · Anjon Singho — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anjon singha — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kryesmin — CC0
The Shah Jalal Dargah is the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Jalal in the city of Sylhet in northeast Bangladesh, and the largest and most visited religious site in the country. Visitors come from across Bangladesh and from neighbouring India. Shah Jalal lived in the 14th century and died around 1347, and local tradition honours him as the patron saint of Sylhet who spread Islam in the region. The shrine was first built around 1500, and many structures were added and changed over the following centuries, while folklore and legends grew up around it. You enter through a large white and blue gateway topped with small domes into a broad courtyard. The compound holds four mosques, a religious school and a public cemetery, and flocks of pigeons wheel over the courtyard. Each year the shrine hosts the saint's urs, a festival marking his death anniversary that draws thousands. The shrine gets crowded, especially on Fridays. Dress modestly, take off your shoes where asked, and follow the attendants' instructions. Respect worshippers and ask before photographing people.
White and blue under small domes.
A broad square with pigeons overhead.
A festival drawing thousands.
Dargah Gate, Sylhet, Bangladesh
On Fridays and during the annual urs.
Modest dress, shoes off where asked, and following the attendants.