Bangladesh is busy these days building a mosque to add to the world's Islamic architecture masterpieces.

Why it matters:

The 201-domed mosque in Gopalpur, Tangail, in Bangladesh, has made its place in world history. It is the mosque with the most domes and the second tallest minaret in the world. 

 

The big picture:

The construction of the most-domed mosque in the world began on January 13, 2013, under the initiative of the freedom fighter Rafiqul Islam Kalyan Trust. The foundation stone of the mosque complex was laid on about 15 bighas of land. The work was supposed to be completed in 2017

 

Key points:

  • The height minaret is 138 meters, equal to a 57-story building.
  • About 15,000 worshippers can pray simultaneously in the two-story mosque.
  • Tiles on the walls of the mosque have 30 verses of the Quran.
  • Main door of the mosque includes 50 maunds of brass.
  • Height of the dome in the middle roof is 81 feet, and the remaining 200 domes are 17 feet high.
  • Four minarets of 101 feet high are at the four corners of the main mosque.

 

Go deeper:

Rafiqul Islam, born into poverty, dreamed of creating something everlasting for charity if blessed with wealth. After Bangladesh's independence in 1971, he worked at Janata Bank, saving diligently. In 2013, with his life savings and public support, he began constructing the world's largest dome mosque, a project still ongoing, aiming to provide perpetual charity

 

seyed mohammad kazemi