The Sultan Mosque is located at 3 Muscat Street, where it is the focal point of the historic Kampong Glam area. Also known as Masjid Sultan, it was named for Sultan Hussein Shah. The mosque was first built in the 1820s. However the original structure was demolished about a century later to make way for the current building, which was completed in 1932. The mosque holds great significance for the Muslim community, and is considered the national mosque of Singapore. It was designated a national monument in 1975.
History
In 1819, Sultan Hussein signed an agreement with Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company allowing the British to establish a trading post on the island. Hussein then requested that a mosque be built near his istana (Malay for “palace”) in Kampong Glam, the Malay-Muslim quarter. Raffles agreed and contributed $3,000 to the construction of the mosque. Completed in 1828, the original mosque was a single-storey building with a double-tiered roof.
In 1879, the mosque received gifts of land from Tunku Alam Sultan Alauddin Alam Shah, Sultan Hussein’s grandson, and Tunku Aleem, an unknown benefactor. Tunku Alam also appointed a five-man committee to look after the mosque; this was replaced by a board of 12 trustees in 1914.
By 1924, the old mosque was almost 100 years old and in need of repairs. The trustees proposed the building of a new and larger mosque at an estimated cost of $200,000. Due partly to the lack of funds (fund-raising was ongoing during construction), and in order to avoid disrupting worshippers, the new mosque was constructed in phases. In the midst of construction, North Bridge Road was extended beyond Arab Street and was forced to bend around the mosque. The mosque was completed in 1932 and still stands today.
In 1968, repairs to the mosque were undertaken, including painting and the installation of new floor tiles. Renovation works again took place in phases as funds became available. The renovations amounted to S$145,000, of which almost S$108,000 was raised through donations from the Muslim community, while about S$37,000 was donated by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
In 1987, an extension to the mosque was built. Donations for the project included S$53,000 from the World Muslim League in Saudi Arabia. Designed in a style similar to the mosque, the S$4.2 million Annex building was officially opened by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 10 July 1993.
Due to its historical and cultural significance, the mosque was gazetted as a national monument on 8 March 1975.
Features
Standing on a site of 4,109m2, the mosque is oriented in the direction of Mecca instead of aligned with the urban planning grid. The compound is enclosed by a boundary wall of cast-iron railings. Designed by Denis Santry of Swan & Maclaren, the architecture of the mosque is influenced by the Indo-Saracenic style.
The most striking features of the mosque are its two gold onion domes above the east and west façades, each topped by pinnacles with crescent moons and stars. The base of each dome is ornamented with glass bottle ends that the sultan had collected as donations from poor Muslims. He had wanted contributions from all Muslims, instead of only wealthy ones, to the building of the mosque. The roof parapet is edged with merlon cresting. On each corner of the mosque are minarets with staircases that lead up to calling towers with balconies.
The west façade of the mosque facing North Bridge Road is also the entrance to the mausoleum of Tunku Alam, who died in 1891 and whose remains lie in an honoured position beneath the dome. Two eight-storey minarets flank the east façade, where four Doric columns support the entrance foyer.
Within the mosque, the rectangular prayer hall is defined by 12 octagonal columns. Two storeys high and large enough to hold 5,000 worshippers, the central atrium of the hall is enclosed by a second-storey gallery. The mihrab or pulpit is framed by a lancet arch with gold-plated floral motifs, topped with a panel of calligraphy.
Separated from the mosque by a courtyard and an old bunga tanjung tree is the comparatively modern Annex. While its façade was designed to be similar to that of the mosque, the interior contains more modern amenities. The building houses a 425-seat auditorium equipped with simultaneous translation facilities, a 200-seat conference room, and two multi-purpose halls.
Events and activities
Some events of historical interest have taken place at the mosque. In January 1937, led by Malay officers for the first time, the Malay Regiment made its first public appearance in a march from Empress Place to Sultan Mosque to attend prayers. The march-past was watched by the Sultans of Perak and Trengganu and Sir Shenton Thomas, the Governor.
In 1950, due to its location in Kampong Glam, the mosque found itself at the centre of the infamous racial riots sparked by the Maria Hertogh case. Rioters hid in the mosque and were later dispersed by Muslim police officers who entered the mosque with the permission of the chief kathi.
Over the years, the mosque has been an important focal point for religious, cultural and social activities. During Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, a popular night market with numerous food stalls springs up in the vicinity of the mosque, where Muslims gather to await the prayer call to break their fast at sunset. During Hari Raya, it is customary for the mufti, the head of the Muslim Religious Council, to deliver sermons at the mosque.
The mosque engages in charity work such as food distribution and blood donation drives, and conducts social outreach programmes such as providing opportunities for Indonesian domestic workers to study the Quran and learn English. The mosque also organises seminars and talks, and hosts visiting dignitaries and religious scholars. It welcomes a stream of tourists, many of whom are non-Muslim. To communicate more effectively with non-English speaking visitors, some staff members have, for instance, taken up the Japanese language.
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