Jamek Mosque Explained

Building Name:
Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque
Native Name Lang:msa
Location:Jalan Mountbatten, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Religious Affiliation:Islam
Leadership:Imam(s): Ustaz Haji Yahya Mahyuddin bin Datuk Haji Utoh Said (2017–present)
Architect:Arthur Benison Hubback
Architecture Style:Islamic, Moorish, Mughal
Administration:Kuala Lumpur Islamic Council
Year Completed:1909
Capacity:1,000 worshipers[1]
Minaret Quantity:2

Jamek Mosque, officially Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque (Malay: Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad) is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2] It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers and may be accessed via Jalan Tun Perak. The mosque was designed by British architect and soldier Arthur Benison Hubback, and built in 1909. It was the principal mosque of Kuala Lumpur until the construction of the national mosque Masjid Negara in 1965.

The name "Jamek" is the Malay equivalent of the Arabic word jāmiʿ meaning a place where people congregate to worship.[3] It is also referred to as "Friday Mosque" by the locals.[4]

History

The mosque was built on the location of an old Malay burial place at the confluence of Klang and Gombak River and named Jamek Mosque.[5] [6] A couple of mosques previously existed in the Java Street and Malay Street area serving the Malay communities, but Jamek Mosque was the first large mosque to be built in Kuala Lumpur. The architect was Arthur Benison Hubback who designed the mosque in the Indo-Saracenic style, loosely reflecting Indian Muslim Mughal architectural style.[7]

The foundation stone of the mosque was laid by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah on 23 March 1908, and the Sultan officially opened the mosque on 23 December 1909.[8] [9] The construction of the mosque cost $32,625, funded in part by the Malay community with contribution from the British colonial government.[3] Masjid Jamek served as Kuala Lumpur's main mosque until the national mosque, Masjid Negara, was built in 1965.

The mosque has since been expanded with extensions built, and the addition of a roof over the originally open-air forecourt.[10] The mosque was refurbished in 1984 and the minaret nearest the river was underpinned as it was already sloping. One of the domes of the mosque collapsed in 1993 due to heavy rain, but has since been repaired.[8]

On 23 June 2017, the mosque was renamed Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque by Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah after his ancestor — the fourth Sultan of Selangor Sultan Abdul Samad — as the mosque was originally built on land that was part of the state of Selangor.

Features

The design of the mosque has been described as a Moorish, Indo-Saracenic or Mughal architecture.[11] A. B Hubback also designed a number of buildings in similar style, such as the Kuala Lumpur railway station and the Ubudiah Mosque in Kuala Kangsar. The mosque has 2 main minarets among other smaller ones; the pattern of pink and white banding of the minarets, formed of brick and plaster, has been described as "blood and bandage".[10] [12] The mosque has 3 domes, the largest of which reached 21.3m (69.9feet) in height. The prayer hall is located beneath the domes.[3]

Access

The mosque lends its name to the Masjid Jamek LRT station located just outside the mosque compound. The station is among Kuala Lumpur's busiest metro interchanges, being served by the Kelana Jaya Line, Sri Petaling Line and Ampang Line. The station is located between Chinatown and Little India; Dataran Merdeka is also nearby.

Imams and Muadhins of Jamek Mosque

Imams

Chief Of Muadhins :

Muadhins :

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: KL's oldest mosque renamed Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad. 23 June 2017. Qishin Tariq. The Star. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621064653/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/06/23/kls-oldest-mosque-renamed-masjid-jamek-sultan-abdul-samad/. 21 June 2020. live.
  2. Web site: Jamek Mosque . . 25 May 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140525195415/http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/my/web-page/places/states-of-malaysia/kuala-lumpur/jamek-mosque?page=%2F3 . 25 May 2014 .
  3. Web site: Masjid Jamek, a beautiful mosque surrounded by the city . Malaysia Travel Guide . 28 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171119123955/http://www.malaysia-travel-guide.com/masjid-jamek.html . 19 November 2017 .
  4. Web site: Masjid Jamek: Friday Mosque . History Asia . 28 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170803155723/http://www.historyasia.com/content/jamek-mosque . 3 August 2017 .
  5. Book: A History of Kuala Lumpur 1856-1939 . J.M. Gullick . 2000 . The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . 164 .
  6. News: Rock-solid proof of 200-year-old graves . 13 April 2016. Bavani M . The Star. https://web.archive.org/web/20170401034516/http://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2016/04/13/rocksolid-proof-of-200yearold-graves-experts-urge-authorities-to-be-transparent-over-discovery-of-ar/. 1 April 2017. live.
  7. Book: Malaysian Institute of Architects. Architectural Heritage: Kuala Lumpur - Pre-Merdeka. 2007. Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia.
  8. Book: Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City. Lam Seng Fatt . Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd . 3rd Revised . 15 October 2011. 978-981-4435-39-0 . 38 - 39 .
  9. News: Masjid warga kota . . 27 February 2013 . 28 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160821061358/http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/Bicara_Agama/20130227/ba_02/Masjid-warga-kota . 21 August 2016 .
  10. Book: A Walking Tour Kuala Lumpur . 2nd . Audrey Southgate . Gregory Byrne Bracken . Marshall Cavendish Editions . 15 January 2014 . 978-981-4516-94-5.
  11. Book: Malaysian Institute of Architects. Architectural Heritage: Kuala Lumpur - Pre-Merdeka. 2007. Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia. 20.
  12. Web site: Hubback Walk . Museum Volunteers, JMM . 22 June 2014 .

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