Masjid Malabar

Masjid Malabar
மலாபார் மசூதி
مسجد مالابار‎
Masjid Malabar during the Islamic month of Ramadan in 2026.
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Location
Location471 Victoria Street, Singapore 198370
CountrySingapore
Location in Singapore
Coordinates1°18′18″N 103°51′36″E / 1.3049937°N 103.8599131°E / 1.3049937; 103.8599131
Architecture
ArchitectA.H. Siddique
TypeMosque
StyleIndo-Saracenic Architecture
FounderMalabar Muslim Jama'at
Established1819 (re-established 1956)
Groundbreaking10 April, 1956
Completed1962
Specifications
Dome2
Minaret1
MaterialsLapis lazuli (exterior)

Masjid Malabar or Malabar Muslim Jama'ath Mosque (Tamil: மலாபார் மசூதி, Arabic: مسجد مالابار), also known as Golden Dome Mosque or alternatively the Blue Mosque, is a historic mosque located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan in the Kampong Glam district within the Rochor Planning Area in Singapore. First built in 1819 on a site of an older mosque and recognizable for its blue lapis lazuli tiled exterior and three golden domes, it is the only mosque in the country that caters to Malabar Muslims.[1] Due to its similarities in architecture, especially with the golden onion domes, the mosque has been nicknamed as the "cousin" of the Sultan Mosque.[2]

History

The original mosque was part of the Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery, an Indian Muslim section of the wider Jalan Kubor Cemetery located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan that dated back to 1819.[3][4][5] The cemetery along with its mosque fell into disrepair and were abandoned by 1929, allowing the newly-formed Malabar Muslim Jama'at to occupy and take ownership of the mosque as well as relocate their main offices from Changi Road and Bussorah Street to this new location.[3][6][7] A fundraising campaign was launched by the Malabar Muslim Jama'at to finance the reconstruction of the mosque, which attracted donations from both Muslims and non-Muslims in the area.[5] The foundation stone for the new mosque was officially laid on 10 April 1956 in a groundbreaking ceremony attended by the Mufti of Johor, who represented the Sultan of Johor.[6][7] Construction was finished by late 1962 and Masjid Malabar was officially inaugurated by the contemporary Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Yusof bin Ishak, on 24 January 1963.[3][6][7] After the independence of Singapore, the mosque was renovated in 1988 when it had again fallen into a state of disrepair as well as to improve the collapsing wooden furnishings.[8]

Im 2012, the mosque committee discussed buying the land around the mosque, including the land that the cemetery was situated on, to expand the mosque.[9] As part of the Mosque Upgrading Program, an initiative launched by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), plans were revealed in 2020 of a proposed extension of the mosque, with a new three-storey annex building that houses a madrasah, female prayer space, heritage gallery, as well as an auditorium hall.[10][11][12] The proposed extension drew worries from locals, who were concerned that graves in the adjacent cemetery may be affected by construction.[13] In response to these worries, the chairman of the mosque confirmed that the mosque's committee and relevant authorities would do their best to ensure that as many graves as possible were unharmed by the construction. Once plans had been finalized, construction on the extension started in 2020 and was completed by 2023.[11][12][14]

Architecture

Masjid Malabar is built upon an Indo-Saracenic architectural style, designed by Indian Muslim architect A.H. Siddique who also helped with the design of the Gurdwara Sahib Katong along Wilkinson Road.[3][4]

The mosque has one large golden onion dome atop the central part of the building, followed by a smaller one on a platform that tops the southeastern part of the building.[6][15] The minaret is an octagonal tower topped by a similar golden dome and is situated on the right of the central part of the building.[6][15] All the domes, including the ones on the minaret, have a crescent-and-star sitting atop them.[3][15] The exterior and façade of the mosque is covered in bright blue lapis lazuli tiles, a distinctive feature of the mosque making it remarkable to locals around the area.[7][15] Due to the mosque's blue tiled exterior, it has been known as the "Blue Mosque."[3]

Inside the mosque, the Qur'an study room is located on the first level, along with a lounge for visitors to relax as well as the mosque administrative office.[3] The main prayer hall is located on the second level and is accessible from the main entrance by a grand staircase with wooden railings.[3][15]

Behind the mosque is a small closed cemetery which is part of the old Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery.[16][17] Towards the eastern end of the cemetery, closer to the boundary of the mosque that faces Victoria Street, is the elevated grave of Sayyid Kunhi Koya Thangal, a Malabar Muslim scholar and preacher who was buried there in 1950.[17] Within the cemetery are a group of graves belonging to the family and descendants of Kunhi Koya Thangal.[17] Towards the western end of the cemetery, there is a mausoleum for Bugis entrepreneur Ambo Sooloh and his parents.[16][17] After the 2023 renovation, all of the graves are located within the boundaries of the mosque, but are not considered as part of the main mosque.[3][12][16]

  • The grand staircase leading to the main prayer hall of the mosque.
  • The main prayer hall of Masjid Malabar; the mihrab and minbar (pulpit) in centre.
  • Arabic calligraphy above the mihrab, which reads “O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with the truthful.”
  • A closer look at the mihrab of the mosque.
  • A dining area on the first level of the mosque.
  • The annexe building of the mosque that was added in 2023.

Transportation

Masjid Malabar is directly accessible via the Lavender MRT station on the East–West line. For bus services, it is served by the bus stop along Victoria Lane, which is within walking distance from the mosque.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Eunos, Nadzri (6 April 2007). "Sekilas Masjid Malabar" [A glimpse at Masjid Malabar]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 10.
  2. ^ Rough Guides (1 July 2015). The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Apa Publications. pp. 703–. ISBN 978-0-241-23808-0. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Nasim, Mohammed (2022). The Blue Mosque of Singapore and a peek into the migrant Muslim community from Kerala (1st ed.). Singapore: National Heritage Board. ISBN 9789811835339.
  4. ^ a b Bracken, G.B. (8 March 2016). A Walking Tour: Singapore: Sketches of the City's Architectural Treasures (5th ed.). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish International. p. 74. ISBN 9814721778.
  5. ^ a b Don, Ahmad (25 September 1984). "Perkuburan 'kaya' dekat Masjid Malabar" ['Rich' cemetery near Malabar Mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 5.
  6. ^ a b c d e Devi, Uma (2008). Singapore’s 100 Historic Places (2nd ed.). Singapore: Archipelago Press. ISBN 9814068233.
  7. ^ a b c d Eunos, Nadzri (6 April 2007). "Malabar tiada masalah" [Malabar has no problems]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 10.
  8. ^ "Kerja baiki Masjid Malabar bermula lagi" [Masjid Malabar repair work begins again]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 31 December 1988. p. 3.
  9. ^ Jamil, Erdina (22 February 2012). "Masjid Malabar rancang beli tanah" [Masjid Malabar plans to buy lands]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 3.
  10. ^ "斥资587万元翻新 预计一年半后完工 马拉巴回教堂修建新附楼" [The Malabar Mosque is undergoing a renovation costing 5.87 million yuan and is expected to be completed in a year and a half. A new annex is being built.]. Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). 1 September 2020. p. 10.
  11. ^ a b "Masjid Malabar mahu sedia lebih ruang khusus buat Muslimah" [Masjid Malabar wants to provide more special spaces for Muslim women]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 24 December 2021. p. 10.
  12. ^ a b c "Masjid Malabar dibuka semula, warisan unik dipelihara" [Masjid Malabar reopens, unique heritage preserved]. BERITA Mediacorp (in Malay). 27 June 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Proposed extension at Malabar Mosque could affect unidentified graves in Jalan Kubor - Singapore's oldest Muslim graveyard". The Straits Times. 23 February 2018. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Gagal ke masjid bukan bererti ibadah terhenti" [Failing to go to the mosque does not mean that worship stops]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 9 April 2021. p. 15.
  15. ^ a b c d e Norman Edwards; Peter Keys (1988). Singapore: A Guide to Buildings, Streets, Places. Times Books International. p. 265. ISBN 978-9971-65-231-9. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b c Don, Ahmad (25 September 1984). "Perkuburan 'kaya' dekat Masjid Malabar" ['Rich' cemetery near Malabar Mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 5.
  17. ^ a b c d "The Historical Jalan Kubor Cemetery". Heritage @ Malabar Mosque. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Malabar Muslim Jama-ath (Mosque) - 473 Victoria Street (S)198371". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Masjid Malabar.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.