Masjid Malabar or Malabar Muslim Jama-Ath Mosque, also known as Golden Dome Mosque; is Singapore's only Malabar Muslim mosque. The mosque is located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan in the Kampong Glam district, in the Rochor Planning Area within the Central Area. The mosque is built on the Sultan Mosque style with traditional blue and whitelapis lazuli tile facade. The mosque was nicknamed as little cousin of the Sultan Mosque, because of similar golden domes.
History
Before the building of the mosque, there was a burial ground near the site which was used until World War II. The Indian Muslims built a mosque known as the Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery and Mosque but it fell into disrepair and was abandoned until around 1929. The Mosque was then taken over by the Malabar Muslim Jama'ath. The Malabar Muslims; originally from the southern state of Kerala in India, formed Malabar Muslim Jama'ath in 1927, an association to look after the matters of their community, made up of mostly textile and jewellery merchants. The Jama'ath's first office was located in a shophouse on Changi Road, shifted to Bussorah Street later and finally settled on Victoria Street. A fundraising campaign launched to finance the re-construction of the mosque attracted the generous amounts of donations from the Muslim as well as nonmuslim public. Malabar Mosque was declared open by Yang di-Pertuan NegaraYusof bin Ishak on 24 January 1963. The Mosque has a capacity of 1,000 people. Shortly after the inauguration, urban redevelopment began in the Jalan Sultan area, to help the mosque withstand its increasingly dense, modern setting, green and blue tiles replaced the paintwork that covered the outside walls. Except for a few areas left unpainted, the whole building has been redecorated in garish green and blue. Jama'ath then decided to do the same with the interior. In 1995, the entire mosque, save a few sections, were tiled. In 2009, the mosque underwent renovations to maintain its unique architecture. Today, Malabar Mosque continues to be the focal point of the Malabar Muslim community who gather there every Friday and on Hari Raya, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and other religious occasions for prayers and celebrations.
Architecture
Malabar Mosque has been built upon the conventional Islamic architectural style. A.H Sidique, an immigrant from India who also designed Sri Guru Nanak Sat Sangh Sabha gurdwara on Wilkinson Road, designed the Malabar Mosque. A. H Sidique, after completing a correspondence course in building, became responsible for both the construction and design of many buildings in Singapore. Apparently, he would never take a design fee for a religious building of any denomination. The mosque is built upon a traditional architectural style; 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. Series of external staircases connect the various levels of the mosque. The ground floor courts the Koran study area, the imam's room, and a visitors' lounge. A separate double-story annex houses offices and the ablution area. The main prayer hall is situated on the first floor. It faces the direction of Mecca and is surrounded by spacious verandas on its three sides. The staircase leading to the first level is also oriented towards Mecca. Mosque is a unique religious architecture in Singapore. Outside, there is an area for functions and this includes a table for laying out and washing the dead. To the rear, there is a now small, partly disused cemetery known as Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery which comprises a small part of the main Jalan Kubor Cemetery.
