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Baitur Rauf Mosque

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Bait Ur Rouf Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
LocationFaidabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh
MunicipalityDhaka
Geographic coordinates23°52′52″N 90°24′53″E / 23.8810°N 90.4146°E / 23.8810; 90.4146
Architecture
Architect(s)Marina Tabassum
TypeMosque
Completed2012
Construction costUSD 150000
Specifications
Capacity400 person
Dome(s)no dome

The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque (Bengali: বায়তুর রউফ জামে মসজিদ, Arabic: الجامع بيت الرؤوف) is a distinctive urban mosque located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[1] Designed by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and completed in 2012, it has been called a refuge of spirituality in urban Dhaka and received recognition for its beautiful use of natural light and for challenging the status quo of traditional mosque design.[2] Instead of traditional symbolism such as domes and minarets, the mosque relies on open space and the rich interplay of light and shadow to create a prayer space that elevates the spirit.[3]

History

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In the wake of the tragic loss of two of her daughters,[4] Bangladeshi widow Sufia Khatun donated part of her land for the construction of a mosque.[5] In 2005 ,she commissioned her granddaughter, architect Marina Tabassum, to design it.[5] Community members initially used a temporary structure on the site for prayer, but when Khatun died, Tabassum was left as the sole fundraiser, designer, client, and builder of the project.[4] Community donors provided most of the funding for the building.[3]

Architecture

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The mosque was designed by Marina Tabassum, a female architect from Bangladesh.[6] Known for designing the Museum of Independence in Dhaka, she is recognized as one of the country's top architects and one of only a few women architects in the country.[7] In Bangladesh, it is unusual for a female to design a mosque – Bangladeshi women rarely even enter a mosque, praying instead at home, since few mosques have dedicated sections for women.[8] Tabassum visited more than 100 mosques before designing Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, despite having hardly ever entered a mosque previously.[7]

Bangladesh's rich mosque-building history dates back to the 13th century's Turkish invasion. The earliest mosques incorporated elements from local building traditions, such as small domes that span the roof and brick walls.[9] The architect combined this unique traditional Sultanate mosque architecture[10] with a modern approach to create a design that challenges the status quo.[9]

The building is located in a flood-prone area,[1] and is designed along an axis angled 13 degrees to the Qibla direction.[11] To compensate for this angle, the building is raised on a plinth with a cylinder inside of a square.[10] This allowed the designer to rotate the prayer hall to the correct direction and created light courts on four sides with room for other functions.[11]

The mosque's prayer hall has no columns inside, instead relying on eight peripheral columns for support.[12] Dozens of random, circular openings in the ceiling and walls allow natural light to enter the building, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow to enhance the spiritual atmosphere.[12]

The small-footprint, one-storey building has no domes, minarets, or decorative panels, and fits in with its surroundings.[13] Handmade terracotta brick walls[13] provide natural ventilation, helping keep the building cool even on hot days.[14] Without using the usual mosque symbolism,[15] the architect created a space of spirituality with simplicity and the use of natural light prompting deep reflection and contemplation in prayer.[3]

The building cost Sh 15 million and took five years to construct. Construction finished in 2012.[16]

National attention

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Although locals funded and use the building, visitors from across Bangladesh, including Chittagong and Sylhet, visit the Mosque. This includes devotees and architecture students.[17]

The architect purposely reduced symbolism in her design to encourage the building's use for other social activities beyond prayer.[18] Children are encouraged to play in the building, which is unusual for a mosque.[19] The architect aimed to make the building a place of tranquility in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of one of the most crowded cities in the world,[17] with "Breathing spaces" in and around the building providing a place for worshippers to socialize outside of prayer times.[13] Throughout the day, children play and elderly men chat on the building's plinth.[20]

The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque is unusual not only for being only one of two mosques in Bangladesh built by a woman[17] but also for its environmentally-friendly design.[18] The architecture pays tribute to lost mosque-building traditions[17] and fits into the landscape of a country with a developing economy, which the architect believed was her social responsibility.[21]

Awards and recognition

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The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque was one of six winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016, along with the Friendship Centre in Gaibandha.[22] This $1 million award, presented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, recognizes architectural excellence in Muslim communities around the world.[17] The award jury chose the mosque for pushing the boundaries of how a religious space should look[1] and creating a design that elevates the spirit.[2]

In 2018, the mosque was awarded the Jameel Prize from the Victoria and Albert Museum.[23]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Danish park designed to promote tolerance in community wins architectural award". Reuters. 2016-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  2. ^ a b Winners of Aga Khan architecture award announced - VIDEO, retrieved 2019-10-07
  3. ^ a b c The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: PHOTOS, retrieved 2019-12-13
  4. ^ a b "Architect Marina Tabassum on her Aga Khan Award-winning design for the Bait Ur Rouf mosque in Dhaka". The National. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  5. ^ a b "Bait Ur Rouf Mosque: An Aesthetic and Inclusive Space". The Daily Star. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  6. ^ "Six projects awarded Aga Khan architecture prize". The Independent Uganda. 2016-11-07. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  7. ^ a b "Female architect lands prize". The Star. 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  8. ^ "Bangladeshi female architect's mosque design wins prestigious international prize". The Nation. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  9. ^ a b "Bangladeshi mosque architect smashes glass ceiling". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  10. ^ a b "Archnet". Archnet. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  11. ^ a b "Bait Ur Rouf Mosque". Archnet. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  12. ^ a b "The Aga Khan Award for Architecture: PHOTOS", Daily Nation, retrieved 2019-10-07
  13. ^ a b c Muiruri, Peter. "'Green' buildings top awards". The Standard. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  14. ^ "Bangladeshi mosque architect smashes glass ceiling". The News. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  15. ^ "Award Recipients: Construction (Bait ur Rouf Mosque)". ARCHNET. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
  16. ^ "Bangladeshi female architect's mosque design wins prestigious international prize". The Nation. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Succès de l'une des rares mosquées construite par une femme". Le Figaro. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  18. ^ a b "Bait Ur Rouf Mosque". Aga Khan Development Network. Archived from the original on 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  19. ^ Browning, Noah (2016-10-04). "Danish park designed to promote tolerance in community wins architectural award". The Star. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
  20. ^ "Collections | | 13th Cycle: 2013-2016 | Bait Ur Rouf Mosque". Archnet. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  21. ^ "Female Bangladeshi mosque architect smashes glass ceiling". Dawn. AFP. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  22. ^ "China, Denmark projects among architecture award winners". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  23. ^ "Jameel Prize 5 · V&A". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
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