Bait Ur Rouf Mosque
Image of Baitur Rauf mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Location
Location	Faidabad, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Municipality	Dhaka
Geographic coordinates	23°52′52″N 90°24′53″E / 23.8810°N 90.4146°E / 23.8810; 90.4146Coordinates: 23°52′52″N 90°24′53″E / 23.8810°N 90...
Architecture
Architect(s)	Marina Tabassum
Type	Mosque
Completed	2012
Construction cost	USD 150000
Specifications
Capacity	400 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

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]

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baitur Rauf Jame Mosque.

References