Jamek Mosque

The Jamek Mosque is one of the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur. It is situated at the confluence of the Sungei Klang and the Sungei Gombak rivers. Eventually

at this place the history of Kuala Lumpur had its beginning. This place was considered ideal by the early settlers and this place was used as a venue for unloading the equipments and provisions of the early miners. Until 1965, the Jamek Mosque was the major mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

The main architect of the Jamek Mosque was A.B. Hubbock who was an an architectural assistant in the Public Works and Survey Department.

While building the structure, he was derived inspiration from the wonderful works of the Mughal architecture in India. The total cost incurred amounted to about RM32,625 which was raised by the communities in Malaysia and government funds.

 

p>Following the traditional North Indian layout, the construction of the mosque was initiated. The prayer hall of the mosque opens out into a “sahn” or fenced courtyard. There are two minarets apart from the smaller towers that comprise the Mosque structure. The onion shaped domes that surmounts the prayer hall and also the minarets are quite familiar to Mughal architecture. The mosque has three domes, the the central dome is 21.3m (70 ft) high supported by two lower domes. In the earlier 1990s the biggest dome at the center collapsed, only to be rebuilt later on.

 

 

The Jamek Mosque reveals "official" British architecture and points out the blend of Moorish and Mughal elements. The exterior walls of the mosque have

bands of red and white masonry that resemble the structure of Great Mosque in Cordoba in Spain. More familiarity can be found in the grid sets that have intricate bands of brick, plaster and marble.

 

The mosque is commonly referred to as the “Friday Mosque” and is crowded by people up to the street and the nearby LRT Station (which came to be known as Masjid Jamek station)on the Fridays. The place is worth a visit during your stay in Kuala Lumpur, even if you come from a different religion.

 

The location of the Mosque Jamek is an ideal one with the palm trees providing quiet ambiance and tranquility. This compliments the presence of the Jamek Mosque. The nearby attractions are Central Market, China Town, Little India and the Merdeka Square.

 

The word Jamek is actually derived from the word Arabic which means place of gathering for religious purpose. The mosque has many facilities, among which parking place needs to be mentioned. The access to the Mosque is free and donations are accepted by the authorities. The approximate duration that you can stay in the mosque is ¾ hour.

 

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