Aeroplane Mosque
A mosque in Dhaka City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aeroplane Mosque (Bengali: এরোপ্লেন মসজিদ) is a congregational mosque established in 1960 on Elephant Road in Dhaka city. A model of an airplane is placed above the staircase of the mosque.[1] Built during the East Pakistan period, the mosque was later expanded after the independence of Bangladesh. The five-story mosque is now managed as Waqf property and is one of the well-known mosques in Dhaka metropolis.[2]
| Aeroplane Mosque | |
|---|---|
এরোপ্লেন মসজিদ | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni |
| District | Dhaka |
| Ownership | Alhaj Mohammad Ibahim Waqf estate |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 390, Jahanara Imam Swarani, Dhaka |
| Municipality | Dhaka South |
| Country | Banglades |
 Interactive map of Aeroplane Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 23°44′07.8″N 90°23′08.0″E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Mohammad Ismail |
| Funded by | Mohammad Ismail |
| Established | 1960 |
| Groundbreaking | 1960 |
| Interior area | 9 katha |
History
Mohammad Ismail constructed the Aeroplane Mosque on his own family land and with his own financial resources. His grandfather, Mohammad Ibrahim, was the Munshi of the Nawab family of Dhaka. He owned approximately 2,000 bighas of land in the Lalmatia and Nilkhet areas. A portion of the Nilkhet property was used to build the mosque in 1960. Initially, it was a single-story structure. After the independence of Bangladesh, it was expanded to two stories.[2] In 1979, the mosque was declared Waqf property in the name of Mohammad Ibrahim. Subsequently, the mosque was extended to five stories. In 2002, a residential Madrasa started operating in this mosque.[1]
Naming
In the 1960s, mosques were popularly named after various objects—such as Umbrella Mosque and Ship Mosque. The founder had an airplane installed on the mosque's minaret instead of a dome to make it widely recognized and well-known. This feature eventually became the mosque's name.[1][2]
Description
Aeroplane Mosque is built on 9 kathas of land. It is a five-story religious structure. The residential madrasa is located on the fifth floor.[2] Next to the mosque, there is a circular staircase which forms a significant part of the building. A replica of an airplane is placed on top of the five-story staircase.[3] The mosque is maintained and managed through the rent of shops owned by it as waqf property and received donations.[2]
