Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh
The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque (Bengali: বায়তুর রউফ জামে মসজিদ, Arabic: الجامع بيت الرؤوف) is a distinctive urban mosque located in an economically-challenged area of 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
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
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
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
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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