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Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka (or ''Omar Kampong Malacca Mosque''; Jawi: مسجد عمر کامڤوڠ ملاک) is a historic
Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka was first built in 1820 as a wooden, timber structure, with the construction and establishment being financed by Syed Omar Aljunied, a merchant from the Aljunied family.Fern, O.S, "Five of Singapore's Oldest Places of Worship" ''The Straits Times.'' 13 March 2014. Then in 1855, his son funded the construction of a new brick structure to replace the wooden prayer hall. The mosque was at risk of being demolished in 1979 due to the redevelopment plans in the area it was located in but was eventually saved after appeals to keep the site.
The mosque received a major reconstruction in 1981 and 1982, which added an administrative building to the mosque grounds. The only minaret of the mosque was erected in 1985. In 2009, a further renovation added a female prayer hall as well as a block for classrooms.
The mosque has been designated as a historic site in 2001 by the National Heritage Board of Singapore.National Heritage Board (2002), ''Singapore's 100 Historic Places'', Archipelago Press, It has also been regarded as the oldest mosque in Singapore that has survived to the present day. Its establishment in 1820 predates the establishment of the
File:Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka.JPG, The main building of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka which contains the main prayer hall.
File:Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka 2.JPG, The minaret in 2006.
File:Minaret of Masjid Omar Kampung Melaka at Clarke Quay area.jpg, The minaret in 2025, with the yellow colours more prominent.
File:Interior of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, Singapore - 20100815.jpg, The prayer hall of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka.
File:Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, Singapore - 20100815-02.jpg, Corridor outside the prayer hall of the mosque.
File:Porch of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, Singapore - 20100815-02.jpg, A porch outside the prayer hall.
File:The minbar of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka.jpg, The
File:Tombs at Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka.jpg, The tombs of the Aljunied family within the mosque grounds.
File:Tomb of Syed Omar Aljunied.jpg, The tomb of Syed Omar Aljunied, with some older tombstones exhibited behind it.
The mosque's entry on the eCitizen websiteGoogleMaps StreetView of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka
{{Mosques in Singapore 1820 establishments in Singapore Mosques completed in the 1820s Religious buildings and structures completed in 1820 Omar Kampong Melaka Singapore River Tourist attractions in Singapore 19th-century architecture in Singapore
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
in Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
, and is located at Keng Cheow Street in the Singapore River Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
. It is the oldest mosque in Singapore that has survived to the modern day, built in 1820.
History
Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka was first built in 1820 as a wooden, timber structure, with the construction and establishment being financed by Syed Omar Aljunied, a merchant from the Aljunied family.Fern, O.S, "Five of Singapore's Oldest Places of Worship" ''The Straits Times.'' 13 March 2014. Then in 1855, his son funded the construction of a new brick structure to replace the wooden prayer hall. The mosque was at risk of being demolished in 1979 due to the redevelopment plans in the area it was located in but was eventually saved after appeals to keep the site.
The mosque received a major reconstruction in 1981 and 1982, which added an administrative building to the mosque grounds. The only minaret of the mosque was erected in 1985. In 2009, a further renovation added a female prayer hall as well as a block for classrooms.
The mosque has been designated as a historic site in 2001 by the National Heritage Board of Singapore.National Heritage Board (2002), ''Singapore's 100 Historic Places'', Archipelago Press, It has also been regarded as the oldest mosque in Singapore that has survived to the present day. Its establishment in 1820 predates the establishment of the Sultan Mosque
Masjid Sultan, also referred to as Sultan Mosque, is a widely known religious landmark in Singapore. This mosque, which can be found in the Kampong Glam district at the intersection of North Bridge Road and Muscat Street, is highly significant in ...
, which was built in 1824 but officially established in 1929.
Burials
In a corner of the mosque's courtyard are the tombs of Syed Omar Aljunied and members of the Aljunied family. Originally, they were entombed at Jalan Kubor Cemetery (which had a part established by them) located along Victoria Street nearKampong Glam
Kampong Glam ( ; Malay language, Malay: Kampung Gelam; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: کامڤوڠ ڬلم ; ; Tamil language, Tamil: கம்போங் கிளாம்) is a neighbourhood and ethnic enclave in Singapore. It is located north of ...
, however in 2002 their remains were exhumed and transferred to the site of Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, where they still rest.
Gallery
Exterior
Minaret
Interior
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
.
Tombs
See also
*Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both Secularity, secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Muslim world, Islamic world encompasse ...
* List of first mosques by country
*List of mosques in Singapore
There are 72 mosques in Singapore. With the exception of Masjid Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, owned by the State of Johor, and Masjid Taha, owned by the Ahmadiyya organization, all mosques are under the purview of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (M ...
References
External links
The mosque's entry on the eCitizen website
{{Mosques in Singapore 1820 establishments in Singapore Mosques completed in the 1820s Religious buildings and structures completed in 1820 Omar Kampong Melaka Singapore River Tourist attractions in Singapore 19th-century architecture in Singapore