Baitul Mukarram National Mosque

Baitul Mukarram, also spelled as Baytul Mukarrom (Arabic: بيت المكرّم‎; Bengali: বায়তুল মোকাররম; The Holy House) is the National Mosque of Bangladesh. Located at the center of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, the mosque was completed in 1968.[1] It has a capacity of 40,000.[2]

Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
বায়তুল মোকাররম জাতীয় মসজিদ
The structure of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque resembles the Kaaba in Mecca
Religion
AffiliationIslam
OwnershipGovernment of Bangladesh
Year consecrated1959
StatusActive
Location
Location Dhaka, Bangladesh
Location in Bangladesh
Baitul Mukarram National Mosque (Dhaka)
AdministrationMinistry of Religious Affairs, Government of Bangladesh
Geographic coordinates23°43′46″N 90°24′46″E
Architecture
Architect(s)Abdulhusein M. Thariani
TypeNational Mosque
StyleIslamic Architecture
Groundbreaking27 January 1960
Completed1968
Specifications
Capacity40,000
Height (max)99 feet

Architecture
Inside view of the Mosque

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. Baitul Mukarram's large cube shape was modeled after that of the Ka'abah at Mecca[3] making it a noticeable structure being unlike any other mosque in Bangladesh.

Exterior design
Corridor

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.

History

The mosque complex was designed by architect, Abdulhusein M. Thariani.[3] In 1959, owner of then Bawany Jute Mills, Haji Abdul Latif Bawany proposed to Major General Omrao Khan, then military administrator of East Pakistan, of building a grande mosque in Dhaka. Omrao Khan agreed to help on building such mosque. Same year, 'Baitul Mukarram mosque committee' had been established and 8.30 acre of land between new Dhaka and old Dhaka had been chosen. At that time, there was a large pond in present mosque's location. It was known as 'Paltan pond. The pond was filled up and on 27 January 1960 then president of Pakistan Ayub Khan commenced the work. Pray for first time took place on Friday, 25 January 1963.[4]

The plan included shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within the complex. Though there has been a tradition of dome mosque for Muslim, this building did not maintain the rule of traditional mosque in that time. A Mosque without a dome over the roof of its main prayer hall must have been a unique experiment. The mosque was built when the country was the Part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

in 2008 the mosque was extended, financed by a donation from the Saudi government.[5]

Khatibs
Khatibs of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
Serial No. Name Comments
1Moulana Abdur Rahman BekhudHe was the first Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram Mashjid from 1963 to 1971. He was also an Islamic Scholar. He was also one of the founding members of the Anjum Mofidul Islam. He wrote a few Islamic books.
2Mufti Amimul Ehasan (d. 1974)He authored more than 200 books, some renowned are, Fiqhus-sunan wal Athar, Qawa'idul-Fiqh, Fatwai Barkati and Milad Qiam Ozifa . He also prepared the daily Islamic prayer chart for Bangladesh. Served until his death in 1974.
3Abdul Muiz (d. 1984)
4Ubaidul Haq (d. 2007)The longest serving Khatib of the mosque. Served until his death in 2007.[6]
5Muhammad Nurruddin (d. 2009)Acting khatib
6Muhammad Salah UddinRetired khatib
  • Main entrance and Minaret
  • Newly built ceiling
  • New extension of the mosque
  • The mosque's interior (mihrab and minbar)
  • Domed entrance porticoes
  • The mihrab
  • Prayer place for the imam (to the left of the minbar)
  • Interior (lower angle)

See also

References
  1. Thariani and Co: Architects and Engineers. Booklet in section under projects completed "mosques".
  2. Tan, Tai Yong; Kudaisya, Gyanesh (2000). The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-415-17297-4. ... the Al-Baitul Mukarram, the largest mosque in East Pakistan, which could accommodate 40,000 devotees for congregational worship.
  3. Khan, Hasan-Uddin (1990). "The Mosque". Expressions of Islam in Buildings. Proceedings of an international seminar sponsored by the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the Indonesian Institute of Architects, held in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 15–19 October 1990. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture. p. 119. ISBN 978-2-88207-006-7. It takes the historical model of the Kaaba in Mecca as its formal reference. Architect: A.H. Thariani
  4. "AmaderShomoy.Com (আমাদের সময়.কম) Amader Shomoy". Amader Shomoy. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. "Saudi donation for extension work of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque". The Daily Star. 21 October 2008.
  6. "Khatib Obaidul Haq passes away". The Daily Star. 8 October 2007.
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