Located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan is this heritage gem that I absolutely love. Known as the Malabar Muslim Jama-Ath Mosque or Golden Dome Mosque, it is the only mosque in Singapore that is managed by the Malabar Muslim community.
The Malabar Muslims originally came from the southern state of Kerala in India. They started coming to Singapore from the early 19th century onwards. They are primarily traders dealing in textiles and jewellery.
In 1927, these immigrants formed the Malabar Muslim Jama’ath association to look into the affairs of their small community. One of the task the association undertook was the construction of a mosque for the community.
The current site was selected because it was next to an old Malabar Muslim cemetery, dating back to 1819. The mosque was designed by A.H Sidique, an immigrant from India, who after completing a correspondence course in building, became responsible for both the construction and design of many buildings in Singapore. The mosque was declared open on 24 January 1963, by the then Head of State, Yusof Ishak.
The mosque is designed and built in the traditional architectural style. It is adorned with a big, central golden onion dome with a crescent and a star on the center top; and a big minaret shaped like an octagonal tower capped with a smaller dome with a crescent and a star on the right of the big dome. On the left of the big dome there is another smaller dome with a crescent and a star.
A series of external staircases connect the various levels of the mosque. The ground floor houses the Koran study area, the imam’s room and a visitors’ lounge. Offices and the ablution area are situated in a separate double-storey annex. The main prayer hall is situated on the first floor surrounded by spacious verandas on its three sides and faces the direction of Mecca.
The staircase that leads to the first level is also oriented towards Mecca. The external façade of the mosque is covered in distinct blue and white tiles. Originally, the external walls were simply painted. But as the surrounding Jalan Sultan area underwent redevelopment work in the early 1990s, the mosque was retiled in 1995 to suit the modern settings of its improved surroundings.
Today, Malabar Mosque continues to be the focal point of the Malabar Muslim community who gather there every Friday and on festive seasons like Hari Raya & Hari Raya Haji & other religious occasions for prayers and celebrations.
If you are visiting the mosque, don’t forget to check out the rear where there is a small, partly disused cemetery known as Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery which comprises a small part of the main Jalan Kubor Cemetery.
It’s also worthwhile to walk in and around the Kubor cemetery and check out the tombs of kings and various Malay, Javanese, Ottoman and unique cross-cultural gravestones with dapurs (elements which serve to demarcate the boundaries of a grave or built up to form a rectangular edifice).
