Baitul Mukarram National Mosque

Coordinates: 23°43′46″N 90°24′46″E / 23.7294°N 90.4128°E / 23.7294; 90.4128
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Baitul Mukarram" redirects here. For the mosque in Pakistan, see Baitul Mukarram Mosque.

Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
বায়তুল মোকাররম জাতীয় মসজিদ
Islamic Architecture
FounderGovernment of East Pakistan
Funded byAbdul Latif Ibrahim Bhawani
General contractorThariani & Co.
Groundbreaking27 January 1960
Completed1968
Specifications
Capacity42,000+
Height (max)99 feet

Baitul Mukarram, also spelled as Baytul Mukarrom (

National Mosque of Bangladesh. Located at the center of Dhaka, the national capital, the mosque was completed in 1968.[1][2] It has a capacity of more than 42,000 worshippers.[3]

History

An architect's view of Baitul Mukarram

The mosque complex was designed by architect,

Ayub Khan, commenced the work. Prayers took place for the first time on Friday, 25 January 1963. On 28 March 1975, the Government of Bangladesh entrusted the management of the mosque to the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh.[6]

The mosque complex includes shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within it. Unusually, the mosque does not have a dome.

In 2008, the mosque was extended, financed by a donation from the Saudi government.[7][8]

Architecture

The mosque has several modern architectural features whilst at the same time it preserves the traditional principles of Mughal architecture which has for some time been dominant in the Indian sub-continent.[citation needed] Baitul Mukarram's large cube shape was modeled after that of the Kaaba at Mecca,[4] making it a noticeable structure unlike any other mosque in Bangladesh.

Exterior design

The mosque is on a very high platform. The Baitul Mukarram National Mosque's building is eight storied and 99 feet high from the ground level. According to the original plan, the main entrance of the mosque was to be on the eastern side. The 'shaan' on the east is 29,000 square feet with ablution space on its south and north sides. Ablution or Wu’du Place cached an important part when the Baitul Mukarram was begun. The absence of a dome on the main building is compensated by the two superficial domed entrance porticoes, one on the south, and the other on the north. The height of these porticoes consists of three rabbit's foot shaped arches, the middle of which is bigger than the rest.

Interior design

Two patios (roofless inner courtyard) ensure that enough light and air enter the prayer hall of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The prayer niché of the hall is rectangular instead of semi-circular. Excessive ornamentation is avoided throughout the mosque, since minimizing ornamentation is typical of modern architecture.

Garden

The garden is laid out in a style borrowed heavily from

Mughal gardens
, however unlike the traditional Mughal gardens which represent the Islamic Heaven, the garden does not have the Char-Bagh system, most likely due to not having enough room for such a garden. The future of this garden is unknown; if the Bangladeshi government extends the mosque, it will most likely have to remove the garden.

Khatibs

Khatibs of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
Serial No. Name Term Notes
1 Abdur Rahman bekhud (1904–1987) 1963–1971
2 Usman Madani 1971 Acting
3 Amimul Ehsan Barkati (1911–1974) 1971–1974
4 Abdul Muiz (1919–1984) 1974–1984
5 Ubaidul Haq Jalalabadi (1928–2007) 1984–2007 Longest-serving khatib[9]
6 Muhammad Nuruddin (1954–2009) 2007–2009 Acting
7 Mohammed Salahuddin (1944–2022) 2009–2022 Retired
8 Ruhul Amin Faridpuri 2022–present

Gallery

  • Corridor
    Corridor
  • Design of inner arch
    Design of inner arch
  • Main entrance and Minaret
    Main entrance and Minaret
  • Newly built ceiling
    Newly built ceiling
  • Inside view of the Mosque
    Inside view of the Mosque
  • New extension of the mosque
    New extension of the mosque
  • The mosque's interior (mihrab and minbar)
    The mosque's interior (mihrab and minbar)
  • Domed entrance porticoes
    Domed entrance porticoes
  • The mihrab
    The mihrab
  • Prayer place for the imam (to the left of the minbar)
    Prayer place for the imam (to the left of the minbar)
  • Interior (lower angle)
    Interior (lower angle)
  • Architecture of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
    Architecture of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque

See also

References

  1. OL 30677644M
    . Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  2. ^ Thariani and Co: Architects and Engineers. Booklet in section under projects completed "mosques".
  3. ISBN 978-0-415-17297-4
    . ... the Al-Baitul Mukarram, the largest mosque in East Pakistan, which could accommodate 42,000+ devotees for congregational worship.
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-2-88207-006-7
    . It takes the historical model of the Kaaba in Mecca as its formal reference. Architect: A.H. Thariani
  5. ^ "বাইতুল মোকাররমের শুরুর কথা". Daily Inqilab (in Bengali). 28 January 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. ^ "বায়তুল মোকাররমে প্রথম নামাজ আদায়ের ৫৮ বছর". Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 25 January 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Saudi donation for extension work of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque". The Daily Star. 21 October 2008.
  8. ^ Kollol, Kadir (14 April 2021). "বায়তুল মোকাররম: পারিবারিক উদ্যোগে তৈরি হয়ে যেভাবে বাংলাদেশের জাতীয় মসজিদ হয়ে উঠলো". BBC Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Khatib Obaidul Haq passes away". The Daily Star. 8 October 2007.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baitul Mukarram.
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