Baitul Mukarram

History

The mosque complex was designed by architect Abdulhusein M. Thariani. On 27 April 1959, Abdul Latif Ibrahim Bawani, owner of then Bawani Jute Mills, held a meeting at his house with GA Madani, Haji Abdul Latif Bawani, MH Adamji, S Sattar, Muhammad Sadiq, AZM Rezai Karim and Major General Umrao Khan. In that meeting he proposed to Major General Khan, then military administrator of East Pakistan, that a grand mosque be built in Dhaka. Umrao Khan agreed to help build such a mosque. The same year, a Baitul Mukarram mosque committee was established and 8.30 acres of land between new Dhaka and Old Dhaka was chosen for the site. At that time, there was a large pond in the 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. 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.

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 government of Saudi Arabia.

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. Baitul Mukarram's large cube shape was modeled after that of the Kaaba at Mecca, 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

Gallery

|File:Inside view of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.jpg|Inside view |File:বায়তুল মোকাররম.jpg|Corridor |File:Design at dome in Baitul Mukarram.jpg|Design of inner arch |File:Baitul Mukarram National Mosque main entrance & Minaret.jpg|Main entrance and Minaret |File:Friday Prayer at Baitul Mukarram Mosque 03.jpg|Inside view of the Mosque |File:Baitul Mukarram National Mosque's prayer place for the Imam (left side of the minbar).jpg|Prayer place for the imam (to the left of the minbar) |File:Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Interior (lower angel).jpg|Interior (lower angle) |File:Architecture of baitul Mukarram.jpg|Architecture of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque |File:Bayt al Mukarram.jpg|Baitul Mukarram in 2004

Notes

References

References

1. (2024-06-11). "5 Eid jamaats to be held at Baitul Mukarram". [[Dhaka Tribune]].
2. {{Cite Banglapedia. Md. Shahidul Amin
3. Thariani and Co: Architects and Engineers. Booklet in section under projects completed "mosques".
4. (2000). "The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia". [[Routledge]].
5. link. (28 January 2017). The Daily Inqilab]]
6. link. (25 January 2021)
7. (21 October 2008). "Saudi donation for extension work of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque". The Daily Star.
8. link. Kadir. Kollol. (14 April 2021). [[BBC Bangla]]
9. Khan, Hasan-Uddin. (1990). "The Mosque". Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
10. (8 October 2007). "Khatib Obaidul Haq passes away". [[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]].