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Baitul Mukarram Mosque is the National
Mosque of Bangladesh. Its construction began on 27 January 1960, and has
been going on in phases. In the late 1950s Dhaka grew very rapidly. Abdul
Latif Ibrahim Bawani first came up with the idea of building a grand mosque
with a large capacity. The 'Baitul Mukarram Mosque Society' was formed
in 1959 to facilitate the project. Land was allocated for the mosque complex
at the meeting point of Old and New Dhaka. The site was also in close
proximity to the central business district of the city. Architect T Abdul
Hussain Thariani was commissioned to design the mosque complex. The plan
included shops, offices, libraries and parking areas within the complex.
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Architectural Plan: Baitul
Mukarram Mosque |
The design of the mosque reflects the architecture of
the period as can be seen from the use of a white and almost cube-form
for the main building. A Mosque without a dome over the roof of its main
prayer hall must have been a unique experiment. The main 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
shahan on the east is 29,000 square feet with ablution space on
its south and north sides. The absence of a dome on the main building
is compensated by the two shallow domed entrance porticoes, one on the
south, and the other on the north. The elevation of these porticoes consists
of three horseshoe shaped arches, the middle of which is bigger than the
rest. Two patios ensure that enough light and air enter the prayer hall.
The area of the main prayer hall is 26,517 square feet with a
mezzanine floor of 1,840 square feet at the eastern side. The
hall is surrounded by verandas on three of its sides. The mihrab
of the hall is rectangular instead of semi-circular.
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Baitul Mukarram Mosque,
Dhaka |
Excessive ornamentation is avoided throughout the mosque,
since minimizing ornamentation is typical of modern architecture. According
to Thariani's original plan, the minar was a detached structure
on the south side of the main building. However, two new minars
are now under construction according to a new plan.
The Baitul Mokarram mosque is modern in its architectural
style. But it has not discarded traditional principles of mosque architecture.
It has found its place in the hearts of the Muslims because of the resemblance
of its form to the famous Kaba at Mecca. [Md Shahidul Amin] |
