Baitur Rauf Mosque

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 passed away, 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]

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.[16]

The building cost Sh 15 million and took five years to construct. Construction finished in 2012.[17]

Although locals funded and use the building, visitors from across Bangladesh, including Chittagong and Sylhet, visit the Mosque. This includes devotees and architecture students.[18]

The architect purposely reduced symbolism in her design to encourage the building's use for other social activities beyond prayer.[19] Children are encouraged to play in the building, which is unusual for a mosque.[20] 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,[18] 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.[21]

The Bait Ur Rouf Mosque is unusual not only for being only one of two mosques in Bangladesh built by a woman[18] but also for its environmentally-friendly design.[19] The architecture pays tribute to lost mosque-building traditions[18] and fits into the landscape of a country with a developing economy, which the architect believed was her social responsibility.[22]

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.[23] This $1 million award, presented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, recognizes architectural excellence in Muslim communities around the world.[18] 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]