Description of the attraction
With the rapid growth of Dhaka in the late 1950s, a need arose for a larger mosque for the city's growing Muslim population. The Baitul Mukarram Mosque Society was established in 1959 to oversee the implementation of the project. The land that was selected for the mosque is located near the central business district of the city.
The complex of the Baitul Mukarram mosque was designed by the architect Abdul Hussein Tariani and has a number of features, while perfectly preserving the generally accepted foundations of mosque architecture. Construction began on January 27, 1960, was carried out in several stages and was completed in 1968.
The overall complex of the mosque includes retail outlets, offices, libraries and parking areas. The main prayer hall covers an area of almost 25 thousand square meters with an additional mezzanine on the east side of 170 square meters. m. The prayer hall is equipped with verandas from the sides. The mihrab (a niche in the wall of the mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca) is rectangular in shape instead of the traditional semicircular design with minimal decoration.
The architectural style of Baitul Mukarram is very reminiscent of the famous Kaaba in Mecca, which sets it apart from other mosques in Bangladesh. The temple accommodates 30,000 people at once and ranks 10th in the list of the largest such structures in the world. Still, Baitul Mukkaram is often overcrowded, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. This makes the government of Bangladesh think about expanding the hall to a capacity of 40,000.
In the construction of Baitul Mukarram, a light stone with black inlay was used, which gives the building a luxurious look. Beautiful gardens with rows of fountains are laid out around the mosque. Non-Muslims are allowed free entrance to the complex.
