Taj Mahal Bangladesh, Tourist building in Sonargaon, Bangladesh

Taj Mahal Bangladesh is a white marble replica of the Agra mausoleum in Perabo, Sonargaon, about 10 miles east of Dhaka. Its central dome and two flanking domes carry dark finials, four slender spires with black-and-white chevron patterns stand before the facade, and bands of pink and white geometric tilework cross the walls above and below the arches.

Ahsanullah Moni, a Bangladeshi film-maker, conceived the idea after visiting the real Taj Mahal in Agra in 1980, and returned to it another six times. He sent a team of architects to India to measure the original, then built the replica between 2003 and 2008 on a 1.6-hectare site in Perab, Sonargaon, at a cost of about $58 million. It opened to the public in March 2009.

Ahsanullah Moni said he built the replica so that Bangladeshis who cannot afford the trip to Agra could see the Taj Mahal at home; he had first visited the original in 1980 and returned six more times. He sent a team of architects to India to measure the real building, and says he used the same marble and stone. The copy drew coverage from the BBC, Reuters, The Guardian and The Times.

The site is located northeast of Dhaka and is accessible by local transportation. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time to explore the full grounds and surrounding gardens.

Ahsanullah Moni first saw the real Taj Mahal in 1980 and returned to it six more times before hiring architects and sending them to Agra to measure the original. He said he used the same marble and stone, and that machinery cut the build to five years instead of the twenty years and 22,000 workers a manual copy would have needed.