29/04/2021
Photostory: Begumbazar, Puran Dhaka by Maruf Arefin Mim.
For Chol x Shama Kun, we sourced a lot of materials from Begumbazar, Puran Dhaka, as we explore the city to find these gems, we also are curious about whats around us. We'll share more photos of the city, the country and its culture as each collaboration develops.
This is a short photo story by Maruf Arefin Mim on Begumbazaar. You may know Begumbazar for its recycled sarees, but it has so much more. Mim captures the architecture, the vibrancy of the streets, the lives of the people working and the wider culture. Begumbazar has a rich history in recycling, decades old and has become a centre for many small and large crafts organisations, locally and internationally to source. Beyond this, Begumbazar has a series of beautiful old buildings nearby, including the Star Mosque ( It was built in the first half of the 19th century by Mirza Golam Pir (Mirza Ahmed Jan) to the ever changing Kartalab Khan Mosque in the centre, which offers its spaces for trade, for rest, for prayers.
There are also delightful restaurants - Nanna's Biryani is famous here, and some of the best Bakher Khani (open baked in a tandoor as sweet or savoury puffed pastry biscuits ) in the city! It is home to diverse people, it has sacred, centuries old spaces for prayer and is a hub of trade of diverse scales!
We would love to know what are your favourite parts of Puran Dhaka, as we go there regularly, and Mim is keen to photograph places, people and cultures, we would happily explore places you are curious about.
You can see more of Mim's work on his instagram.
