Nagore Durgha, Singapore

The Nagore Dargah (; ) is a dargah complex containing a Sufi shrine, located in Singapore. The dargah was built between 1828 and 1830 by Muslims from the Tamil Nadu region of South India, and was originally known as Shahul Hamid Dargah.

When this shrine was built, Telok Ayer Street, where the shrine is located, was a sandy beach crowded with sailing craft. While its physical surroundings have changed beyond recognition, the monument – save for conservation and preservation work in 2007 – has changed little since the late 19th century. It has a unique blend of classical and Indo-Islamic motifs.

History

Nagore Dargah was built to commemorate a visit to the island by Nagore Syed Abdul Qadir Shahul Hamid, a Sufi saint of the Chulia people, who was travelling around Southeast Asia propagating the teachings of Islam. In 1827, the land on which the shrine stands was granted to a man named Kaderpillai on condition that it was not to be used for a building of wood and attap.

In 1893, by an order of court, the Nagore Dargah property came under new trustees who were also appointed for the Masjid Al-Abrar. The building resembles a multi-tiered wedding cake, its sharp arches decorated with intricate moldings. The architectural features of the building blend classical motifs like moulded arches and columns with Indian Muslim elements such as perforated grilles at the roof. In 1974, it was gazetted a national monument.

The shrine was closed in the 1990s due to fears that the structure would weaken. Restoration works to turn the shrine into an Indian Muslim heritage centre started in January 2007 and was completed in the fourth quarter of the same year at a cost of S$1.8 million. President S. R. Nathan attended a fund-raising event organised by Indian Muslims on 3 December 2006; at that time, the community had raised $200,000..

Architecture

The most interesting visual feature of Nagore Dargah is its façade: two arched windows flank an arched doorway, with columns in between. Above these is a "miniature palace" – a massive replica of the façade of a palace, with tiny cutout windows and a small arched doorway in the middle. The cutouts in white plaster make the façade look like lace. From the corners of the façade, two 14-level minarets rise, with three little domed cutouts on each level and onion domes on top. Inside, the prayer halls and two shrines are painted and decorated in bright colours.

See also

* Islam in Singapore
* List of mosques in Singapore

References

Further reading

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagore Durgha, Singapore
1830 establishments in the British Empire
19th-century architecture in Singapore
19th-century religious buildings and structures in Singapore
Chinatown, Singapore
Ethnic museums in Singapore
Indo-Islamic architecture
Islam in Singapore
National monuments of Singapore
Outram, Singapore
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1830
Religious buildings and structures in Singapore
Religious museums in Singapore
Sufi shrines
Sufism in Asia