Conserved Building
471 Victoria Street
Applicable Guidelines
Other Building Guidelines
Conservation Area
Malabar Mosque Conservation Area
Historic address: 471 Victoria Street
Malabar Muslim Jama’Ath Mosque
About
The Indo-Saracenic style mosque is the only mosque in Singapore built and managed by the Malabar Muslim community. The community is known to have come to Singapore from Kerala, India by the early 1900s. It is also sometimes known as ‘The Blue Mosque’.
The History
In the 1950s, there was a need for a substantial place to consolidate the religious and community activities of the Malabar Muslims and funds were raised for the building of a mosque. In 1963, the mosque was officially opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Yusof bin Ishak, who later became the first President of Singapore.
While the mosque was built for the Malabar Muslim community, many non-Malabar Muslim donors contributed generously towards its building fund. Its architect, A.H. Siddique was known to have designed religious buildings of any faith for free. The mosque is located within the general area of Kampong Glam, which is Singapore’s historic Muslim urban area.
The Building
Located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan, the reinforced concrete mosque dramatises the street corner with domes, projecting balconies, parapets and chatris (elevated domed pavilions). The overall composition, given that it faces the junction diagonally, creates a visually stimulating roof line that has a rich 3-dimensional quality. For the passerby, the most eye-catching aspects of this mosque are the golden domes and the blue tiled façade. These two are a more recent addition, which have gained widespread acceptance.
Inside, the double-volume musalla (prayer hall) is architecturally restrained. The overall treatment allows the visitor to focus on the lavishly decorated mihrab (prayer niche) framed by plaster relief work and a pair of golden wreathed columns on each side of the niche. For the capitals of some columns, the use of the lotus motif typifies the Indo-Saracenic style. Corinthian capitals on others demonstrate the incorporation of elements from the Classical tradition. Interestingly, the ‘interlocking coin’ latticework infill within some of the facade windows is a motif that is more usually associated with the Chinese tradition.
The Legacy
Today, while the mosque is still fully managed by the Malabar Muslims, it serves the wider Muslim community. It stands as a reminder of the diversity within the Muslim community and an emblem of Singapore’s valuable inter-cultural and inter-religious cooperation. It is also an important locational landmark for the area.
Gazetted on 6 June 2014.
Guidelines and Procedures
All proposed works will need to comply with the Conservation Guidelines and the Specific Restoration Guidelines (SRG). Conservation Permission is required before all additions & alteration works and operations of new use can begin.
Residential Fronts are characterised by timber casement windows flanking a double-leafed timber door. All buildings with residential front which is existing and/or identified in the 'Specific Restoration Guidelines', regardless of land use zoning, shall be retained and restored.
Any proposed additions and alterations to this conserved building are subject to evaluation. Please submit your proposal for URA's review.
Gallery
Explore Street View
The building can be found at this street.