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 between 1824 and 1826, and was replaced by the current building between 1924 and 1928. 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 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 S$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 S$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 1928 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 $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 4,109 square metres, 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 Thomas Shenton, 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.
Author
Joanna HS Tan
References
A monument for all. (1986, January 12). The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Famous Egyptian Koran reader to recite here. (1962, February 28). The Singapore Free Press, p. 3. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Five dead, 100 hurt in riots. (1950, December 12). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
$4.2 m annexe for Sultan Mosque. (1993, July 8). The Straits Times, p. 22. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
King Faisal’s gift to mosque. (1968, April 11). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Lau, F. K. (2002, August 11). Mosque extends helping hand to maids. The Straits Times, p. 21. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Lee, G. B. (2002). The religious monuments of Singapore: Faiths of our forefathers. Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: SING 726.095957 LEE)
Let the poor contribute bottles. (1997, March 20). The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Liu, G. (1996). In granite and chunam: The national monuments of Singapore (pp. 107-113). Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 725.94095957 LIU)
Malay Regiment’s first public appearance here. (1937, January 23). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 9. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Masjid Sultan (Singapore) Trustees. (1968). A brief history of Masjid Sultan, Singapore. Singapore : Printed by Malaysia Press.
(Call no.: RCLOS 297.35 MAS)
Matters Muslim – Masjid Sultan, Kampong Glam. (1926, November 4). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 11. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Matters of Muslim interest – Death of M. H. Dawood, “builder” of Sultan Mosque. (1931, November 25). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 12. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Mohamad Khalid Baba. (2004, October 16). A place to break the fast together. The Straits Times, p. H3. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Mosque repairs cost $145,000. (1968, April 12). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Muslim group gives $53,000 to mosque. (1988, October 23). The Straits Times, p. 16. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Muslims getting food gifts from mosque. (1962, February 13). The Singapore Free Press, p. 7. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
New larger Sultan Mosque will be focal point in Kampong Glam: PM. (1993, July 11). The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
New Sultan Mosque at Kampong Glam.(1930, January 1). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 10. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Ong, M. & Sng, S. (Directors). (2003). Episode 3: House of prayer [television series episode]. In Sng, S. (Producer), Places and faces. Singapore: Mediacorp TV.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 PLA -[HIS] pt. e)
Only Muslim police went into mosque. (1950, December 17). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
2nd phase: Rioting in Sultan Mosque area. (1951, August 7). The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority, for Preservation of Monuments Board. (1991). Sultan Mosque preservation guidelines. Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: RSING English 363.69095957 SUL)
Sultan Mosque repairs. (1948, June 22). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Sultan Mosque staff learn Japanese to guide tourists. (1993, November 5). The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Talk on Islam. (1982, January 14). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
The Masjid Sultan – Completion of a new Singapore mosque. (1932, April 5). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved on August 30, 2010, from NewspaperSG.
Further readings
Sultan Mosque. (2010). Retrieved November 4, 2010, from Preservation of Monuments Board website: http://www.pmb.sg/
Wan, M. H. (2009). Heritage places of Singapore (pp. 198-199). Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 WAN)
The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
