The building of the Malacca Straits Mosque was a labour of love. It was built on stilts in the sea and took about RM 10 million worth of money to construct. The outcome, however, made it all worth it as it is a breath-taking mosque that seems to float on water when the tide is high. In the sunlight, this mosque stands gloriously with its brightly coloured stained glass windows; while at night, it works as a lighthouse alerting sailors they are nearing land.
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque in Shah Alam is Selangor’s state mosque. It is the largest mosque in the country and the second biggest in Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Blue Mosque due to its beautiful blue and silver dome.
Built twenty years ago, Putra Mosque in Putrajaya was named after the first prime minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. It is known as the Pink Mosque for its sweet rosy hue. Heavily influenced by Persian architecture, this mosque is mere footsteps away from the Prime Minister’s office and is the principal mosque of the city.
Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque or the Iron Mosque is also situated in Putrajaya. Almost twice the size of the previous mosque, this one is made of 70% steel and took 5 years to complete. With no minarets and a glass panelled ceiling that gives the impression of floating Quranic verses, this mosque is proudly unique.
A striking combination of cultural inspirations, such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the Taj Mahal in Agra, makes the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur a stunning mosque. It is adorned in Moorish calligraphy carvings and has 22 Persian turquoise domes. Visitors who come here can get a free guided tour of the mosque from 10 am to 6 pm.
Built in the late 19th century in Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque boasts the designs of colonial English Victorian, Moorish and a bit of Malay as well. It was built under the direction of Sultan Abu Bakar, whose name is used for the mosque; with Tuan Haji Mohamed Arif bin Punak as its architect who made the minarets resemble British clock towers.
Al-Bukhary Mosque in Kedah was named after, Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, a wealthy man who funded the mosque. It has seven blue domes, but the main one is the most gorgeous with Arabesque motifs inspired by the tomb of Imam Al-Bukhary in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Its main entrance has resplendent reflecting pools with intriguing geometric tiles.
The state mosque of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah State Mosque, has a modernized Ottoman-Moorish Islamic architecture. Located in Kuantan, this mosque is painted in an elegant soft blue and white mixture with a large semi-circle dome encircled by four smaller ones.
Ubudiah Mosque is Perak’s Royal Mosque which can be found in the town of Kuala Kangsar. It stands magnificently with its golden domes and four black and white minarets that contrast beautifully. It has an interesting octagonal shape and is of Indo-Saracenic style. It was built under the orders of the Sultan of Perak then as a token of appreciation to the locals after recuperating from sickness.
The Crystal mosque in Terengganu is awe inducing with its crystal like structure that is positively radiant when a display of multi-coloured lights is shown on it. Made of steel, glass and crystal, this mosque has some Moorish and Gothic inspirations in its architecture. And it appears to float on a lake.
Malaysia is not only a country famous for its tropical rainforests, warm beaches and exciting shopping destinations, it is also known for its mosques’ splendour. Instead of only going to museums to gain Islamic historical knowledge, these mosques could also offer just as much; and they paint pretty pictures as well.
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References:
https://tallypress.com/places-to-go/20-most-beautiful-mosques-in-malaysia/
http://blog.tripfez.com/beautiful-mosques-in-malaysia/
http://kanggatheren-manogaran.blogspot.my/2012/10/top-10-most-beautiful-mosques-in.html
Article is written by:
Nur Jalilah Binti Abdul Aziz, freelance writer of this blog at Zaahara. Interests include blog writing, academic writing and creative writing.
-Photos are taken from google images
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