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Historical Background & Architectural

Characters of Mosque in Malaysia
Study of 8 selected mosque
Overview
Mosque; a Muslim place of worship

The Prophet had migrated to Madina in the year 622 and established the first mosque
which is in Quba’

Since then, mosques around the world had evolved not only in term of architectural,
but also in functions and spaces. But it has an unchanging and eternal primary function
– as a place for communal worship
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List of 8 selected mosque

Masjid Kampung Laut Masjid Negeri Penang

Masjid Kampung Hulu Masjid Jamek

Masjid Negeri Sembilan Masjid Kampung Kling

Masjid Sultan Suleiman Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah

Components

Spatial Organisation Building Materials Decorative Language

Roof Form Construction methods Visual Order

Masjid Kampung Laut
Kelantan
Project Description

Built by: Islamic missionaries who travelled between Champa and Jawa, with the aid of local people

Completed year: 18th century (the most oldest mosque in Kelantan)

Location: Nilam Puri, Kelantan

Foreign architectural influence: Indonesia

The Kampung Laut Mosque (Masjid Kampung Laut) is the most oldest mosque in Kelantan and one of
the oldest in Malay archipelago. It was said to have been built by Islamic missionaries who travelled
between Champa and Jawa, with the aid of local people
Historical Background

The mosque is originally located in Kampung Laut, Tumpat on the near of Kelantan River. It will
record to the present site 1689 has survived two big floods that occurred in Kelantan, the first is in
1926 when a flood known as Bah Air Merah and another in 1966. The second flood severely damaged
the Mosque when parts of the mosque close to the river was swept away by flood waters. However,
Kampung Laut Mosque was able to repair the damage from the flood.
01 Architectural Style

Traditional Vernacular

- Islam came to this region is from Acheh route or that of

Pattani, it follows that the three tier form might be influenced
by the sacred form of the pagoda
- Many building craftsmen were actually chines and if there
were Malay craftsmen, they might have inherited their skills
from the Chinese
02 Space of Area
Serambi/
Varendah

Enclosed Prayer Area

All of the mosques originally possess no serambi area. Many
of the serambi or verandah came later.
From the tip of the pyramid to the bottom of the columns,
the mosques can be inscribed into an almost perfect cube Prayer Area
Serambi/
All of the mosques display only a single space layout and no
Varendah
indication of subdivision can be found.
Since many of the mosque are built close to a river for
ablution, few of them have wells for preparation of prayer.
03 Three Tier
Pyramidal Roof
The mosque was designed with three layer of roof in
pyramidal shape.
All of the mosque in this stylistic classification are made of
timber.
Example : Masjid Papan & Masjid Lenggeng
04 Minarets

The minaret is placed separately and at a distance

from the main mosque building.
These mosques is that they do not come equipped
with a minaret
All are added later whilst some mosques are still
without any minaret
05 Building Material

Main materials and structure: Timber

System use: Traditional timber post and beam
Basic structure: only four columns that support a
three-storey roof
Roof materials: Raspberry leaves.
Size: 400 square feet in total.
06 Construction Method

Uses a unique timber ‘space frame structure’ known locally as

the tiang gantung system
Do not use any form of trusses except the occassional king
post which is denoted as the tiang gantung
This additional build uses the unique 'Tebuk-Pasak’'
technique.
It is made of wood but does not use a single nail. The
rooftop roof was converted to the rooftop because the rooftop
was stronger than the rooftop
Masjid Kampung Hulu
Malacca
Project Description

Built by: Dato Shamsuddin Bin Arom

Completed year: 1728

Location: Malacca City, Malacca

Foreign architectural influence: cross between Netherlands , Chinese and Sumatra.

The Dutch assigned coordinating “Kapitans” to head the local populations in the reconstruction of
their places of worship. Partly due to the Dutch encouragement of cultural cross-pollination, the style
of the mosque is reflective of a Javanese. The regionally characteristic roof consists of three
ascending layers of flared pyramidal roofs. Masjid Kampung Hulu does not employ the Javanese
tradition of using timber as the material for walls, and instead engages stone and brick.
Historical Background

● Masjid Kampung Hulu was built in the year 1728 during the Dutch colonisation.
● It is one of the oldest and yet still fully functional mosque in Malacca.
● It was built by Kapitan Dato Shamsuddin the leader of the Malay community and the Kapitan was
originally from China was also called Sun Shih-Lin.
● The state of the mosque is somewhat closed was show that the original builders is from the upper
class.
● The construction of Masjid Kampung Hulu was cost about half a milion at that time.
● It was later renovated by Wazir Al Sheikh Omar bin Hussain Al-Attas.
01 Architectural Style

Sino-eclectic

- The mosque of this style sits on the ground and not raised
- Have slabs on grade which are raised about half a meter
high with stone stairways accessing to the main floor plan
- The plan of the mosque proper consists of the enclosed
prayer area and the serambi or verandah surrounding with
three parts of the square plan.
02 The Spaces

Ablution Area Enclosed Prayer Area Serambi

Mosque Component Enclosed Prayer Area Serambi

Size of Area 13.1m X 12.7m 16.9m X 3.2m

03 Roof

The regionally characteristic roof consists of three

ascending layers of flared pyramidal roofs, separated
by gaps to allow direct air and light into the building.
These tiers are held aloft by four great columns in the
center extending to outer columns for the lower,
wider roofs.
04 Iwan

The centralized vertical hierarchy lends the structure

to a square plan only disrupted by a small section of
the porch area of the iwan, which juts from the front
of the mosque.
05 Minarets

The stone minaret is also distinctly Malaccan in its

adherence to a pagoda-form and it was used to
summonses the faithfuls to pray five times a day.
06 Building Material

- Borneon ironwood for roof supported poles.

- Masonry fenced and masonry pool for ablution area
- White marble in size 60cm x 60cm with diamond
arrangement in 45° orientation.
- Most of the building constructed by using concrete and
brick material.
- Ceramic roof tiles
07 Construction Method

- The main hall of the mosque it is not supported by

poles but rather raised by more concrete floor slabs
about half a meter high from the ground level. borneon
- The walls are made of brick structures supports ironwood
three-tiered roof and roof-mounted roof.
- There are four poles made of borneon ironwood supporting
the second-floor rooftops of the mosque.
08 Decorative Language
- Each layer the roof is decorated in the corner as per the
concept of construction in Chinese temples.
- The pulpit of the mosque has a very beautiful ornament and
is rich in variety flora motifs such as hibiscus, peanut
Shoots, Jasmine and cauliflower.
- Cosmic elements such as bubbling clouds, motifs sunny
Clouds and sun.
- There is a duck tail motif, dragon scales on the roof end of
the pulpit crown represents the fauna element motif.
Masjid Negeri,
Negeri Sembilan
Project Description

Architect: Malayan Architects Co-Partnership

Completed year:

Location: Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

Foreign architectural influence: Minang and Modern Expressionism

The firm’s design scheme for the Negeri Sembilan State Mosque won the first place as it was
considered a breakthrough in design and technology for its time. The design encapsulates traditional
architectural values while at the same time being innovative in construction and application of
material.
Historical Background
● A competition was organised in 1963 by the Federation of Malayan Society of Architects on behalf of
the State Government in order to replace the old Jamek Mosque of Seremban, built in 1928 with the
same design as Malacca’s traditional mosque, was no longer sufficient to cater for the growing number
of worshippers.
● Malayan Architects Co-Partnership who won the competition by introducing Modern Expressionism
style cooperates with the beginning of the post-independence period in Malaya (now Malaysia).
● At the same time, globalization of architectural ideas has been accepted in Malaya.
● However, MAC was good at adapting the ideas to local climate and building materials suitable for this
country.
● The firm’s design scheme for the Negeri Sembilan State Mosque won the first place as it was
considered a breakthrough in design and technology for its time.
● The design encapsulates traditional architectural values while at the same time being innovative in
construction and application of material.
01 Architectural Style

Modern Expressionism + Minangkabau

Rejects ornamentation in any form, modern expressionism
that celebrates abstraction in forms.
Architecture that carries a metaphoric message through
the use of structurally expressive form.
Uses a series of intersecting reinforced concrete conoid to
refer to the horn-like gable roofs of the Minangkabau
traditional architecture
02 Space of Area

Enclosed Prayer Area

The lace-like walls allow the hall to be freely cross-ventilated
by breezes from the adjacent park and lake.
The curves and lines of moulded concrete gently moving
upward.
Double-storey volumed prayer hall allows lights coming in.
The gentle curve of the roof means that it does not require
massive support, allowing for a completely free space below
for the praying hall.
03 Minangkabau Roof

The mosque was designed with an umbrella shaped

polygonal roof of nine curved sections
Uses a series of intersection reinforce concrete conoid to refer
to the Minangkabau roof structure, which also derives from
the horn of a buffalo.
The roof, also known as ‘bumbung gonjong’ is uniquely
expressed in the structural play of the conoids.
04 Minarets

The minaret is placed separately and at a distance

from the main mosque building.
05 Façade

Outside the prayer halls, cantilevered platforms reach out to

the sun, bringing light to the interior space, allowing the hall
to be naturally lit.
06 Building Material

Concrete as main materials and structure. The brutal material

inspired one of the greatest architect Le Corbusier.
Masonry fenced and masonry pool for ablution area.
07 Construction Method

At each corner, there is a pillar supporting a parasol roof

made of a hyperbolic concave concrete shell.
Since the walls are not load-bearing, they are perforated with
carvings, similar to what can be seen in Malay traditional borneon
houses. ironwood
08 Decorative Language
Masjid Diraja Sultan
Suleiman
Klang
Project Description

Architect: Leofic Kesteven (British)

Completed year: 1932

Location: Klang, Selangor

Foreign architectural influence: Western Art Deco and Neoclassical cathedral style.

The original design is to be like a church plan, where it was design like a cross bar when viewed from
above.

This is due to the fact that the mosque could be converted into a church if the British were to consider
colonising the Malaya entirely.
Historical Background
● It was constructed by the British in the early 1932 and was officially opened in 1934 by the late Almarhum
Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah and the British's Federated Malay States High Commissioner, Sir
Lawrence Nuuns Guillemard.
● Sultan Sulaiman Mosque is notable as it exhibits a combination of influences of Islamic architecture,
Moorish, Neoclassical, English and most importantly, Art Deco architecture.
● The mosque was designed by Leofric Kesteven, and it can accommodate about 1,000 pilgrims at a time.
01 Byzantine Dome

Resembles the early Christian and Byzantine architecture.

Placed directly above the prayer hall, symbolises heaven and
the sky.
The semicircular-shaped dome of the mosque is painted in
egg yellow, not gold.
02 Minarets

Placed in the middle of the walkway, surrounded by eight

smaller minarets, with yellow domes which was added later
by the British
03 Stained glass

A common element found in churches and cathedrals to light

symbolising God and the colours from the glass symbolising
jewels of the Heavenly City of Jerusalem. As the initial design
is for churches, the architect couldn’t depict pictures of
individuals as it is highly discouraged in Islam.
04 Ornamentation

Predominantly geometrical patterns and traces of arabesque

on plain solid walls. Mostly resembling stars or flowers, the
patterns can be found on the walls, fences and even on the
floor tiles
05 Façade

Pebble dashing wall finish, was implemented on the design of

the mosque. It improves water shedding, gave good impact
resistance and provide low maintenance decorative finishes.
Ideal for both in Britain and Malaysia, where it is damp and
humid all year long.
06 Arch (groin vault)

Implemented all around the the mosque.

Made of this durable type of concrete that could

support a lot of weight (mostly structural support to
the dome)
Masjid Jamek
Kuala Lumpur
Project Description

Architect: Arthur Benison Hubback

Completed year: 1909

Location: Kuala Lumpur

Foreign architectural influence: Neo-Moorish and Mughal Architecture.

Imposed with neo-moorish architectural elements, a symbol quite famous at the time in europe and eastern
asia. Mughal architecture influence were from Northern India. It was the first brick mosque in Malaysia when
completed in 1909. It remained the city's centre of Islamic worship until the opening of the National Mosque
in 1965.
Historical Background

● The mosque was officially opened by Sultan of Selangor Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah in 1909.

● Located at the junction of two rivers, Klang river and Gombak river.

● The site had originally been a Malay cemetery that was relocated to Jalan Ampang in order to build the
mosque.

● The mosque was built to cater to the growing population as well as to replace a nearby mosque that
was demolished to make way for a road widening project.

● On 23 June 2017, the mosque was renamed to 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.
01 Plan and Spaces
Similarly to Kaabah, the basic squarish form of the
plan serves well the function of the mosque as a
gathering space.

The main enclosed hall is to host congregations to

perform prayer, while the other semi open and
open halls are welcoming public gathering and
short time chilling or Quran recitation between the
five prayers.

The simplicity yet beauty of the white interior hall

emphasizes on the sincerity and purity.
Open air prayer hall
02 Facade
The facade is made of mainly exposed
brickwork. It interpreted the distinctive
red and white masonry bands seen on the
Great Mosque of Cordoba, Spain.
03 Small scale and large onion domes
The mosque has three (3) Moghul-style onion domes, the largest of which reached 21.3 metres
(70 ft) in height. The prayer hall is located beneath the domes.
04 Minarets & Spires
● Consist of two main
minarets.
● Red and white-striped
minarets.
● Made of bricks.
● Stand over 25 metres tall.
05 Arches & Motifs
Horseshoe or Multifoil arched verandah way over decorated columns.
The exterior carefully carved motifs, arches and domes form are all derived
from nature.
Masjid Negeri
Pulau Pinang
Project Description

Architect: Filipino architect, Efren Brindez Paz

Completed year: 1980

Location: George Town, Penang

Foreign architectural influence: inspired by Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer’s design of Cathedral of Brasilia in
Brasilia, capital of Brazil.

Its architecture is an amalgamation of Western Modernist. The mosque have 1 minarete and the material of
construction on this building is concrete. Occupying a 4.6-hectare site, the state mosque took four years to
build, and can accommofate 5000 worshippers at one sitting, making it the biggest mosque in Penang.
Historical Background
● The construction of the mosque was inspired by Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman, former Prime Minister of
Malaysia, early 1968.
● The design of the State Mosque is provided by the Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) Pulau Pinang
● The architect studied the design of some of the most famous and famous mosques in West Asia before
designing the Penang State Mosque.
● An 11-acre tract of land is owned by the State Government
● at the intersection of Jalan Air ltam and Green Lane at RM1.8 Million.
01 Architectural
Style
Western + Modernist
● Bearing Western Modernist as well as Malay
elements in the design
02 Architectural
Features
Dome :
● Big gold dome
Roof :
● Concrete roof with the organic shape inspired by
the hibiscus
● The roof of the mosque is shaped like a flower
with five petals
Minarete :
● 5 pillar towers, symbolizing Islamic pillars as well
and lift service for visitors going to the lookout
tower
03 Space of Area
Site Zoning

● There is a tree in the middle of KIBLAT

the facilities zone with open roof
for natural ventilation and
lighting
● seems like circular middle
courtyard
Interior Spaces
This mosque has provided two zone which is seperate
by a circulation from left to right of the mosque in the
middle between the two zone.

Prayer Hall
● Double Volume
Facilities
● Toilet, ablution area, classes, rest area and etc
04 Decorative

● The decoration on this building come from its

form of the roof and the the structure itself
● From exterior, the curve shape of each part of
the roof and the beam looks like a blooming
hibiscus under the dome
● For the interior, the way how the beam arises
from column continued meet at the center of the
prayer hall and end up with chandelier import
from europe
● All the decorative automatically become its
facade
05 Building
Material
● Concrete is the main material of The State
Mosque
● Starting from the base to the top of
structure are using concrete
● The used of glass wall also be found at the
prayer hall’s wall
Masjid Kampung Kling
Malaka, Malaysia
Project Description

Built by: Indian Muslim Trader

Completed year: 1748

Location: Melaka, Malaysia

Foreign architectural influence: Cross between Sumatran, Chinese, Hindu, and the Malacca Malay

The Kampung Kling Mosque is situated at Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith Street), also known as "Harmony
Street" because of its proximity to the Sri Poyatha Moorthi Temple and Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.
Historical Background
- 1748 - The original wooden structure was built by Indian Muslim traders.

- 1872 - It was rebuilt in brick.

- The mosque is one of the traditional mosques in Malacca, which still retains its original
design.

- The architectural design of the mosque is a cross between Sumatran, Chinese, Hindu,
and the Malacca Malay.

- The kampung kling mosque is named based on the place where Indian traders dwell in
that place called Kampung Kling.
02 The spaces

Main prayer hall Ablution pool Serambi

03 Roof
- The mosque is covered by a triple-tiered roof.
The central roof is supported by four primary
columns while another set of four columns raise
the lower two layers.

- Chinese ceramic tiles decorated the roof.

- The eaves of the roofs are curved like most old

Chinese buildings
04 Minarets
- The minaret resembles a pagoda.

- The flowing white paint with a minaret gives it

a colonial feel.
05 Arches
- The mosque has corinthian columns at the
main prayer area with symmetrical arches in
the main prayer hall,
05 Mimbar

- The mimbar is made of wooden.

- Full of flower ornamenation
 05 Ornamentation
- The ornamentation mostly resembling of flowers.
- the patterns can be found on the fences, roof door and pillar.
05 Building materials
- Wooden structure - Original structure
- Brick wall - the structure was rebuilt
- Glazed tiles - mosque has a blend of English
and Portuguese
- Chinese ceramic tiles - using on the roof
06 Construction method
- Three-story roof is used in the architecture of
the Kampung Keling Mosque.

- The roof is supported by 4 columns of posts in

the middle of the mosque

- These 4 series columns are fitted with 8

smaller columns that are used to support the
second and third layer roof structure
Masjid Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
Shah Alam, Selangor
Project Description

Architect: Dato Baharuddin Abu Kassim.

Completed year: 1988

Location: Shah Alam, Selangor

Foreign architectural influence: Islamic Middle East.

The mosque known as “blue mosque” among the tourist. It is also the largest mosque in Malaysia and the
second largest mosque in SouthEast Asia after Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta.
Historical Background
- 14 February 1974 - The mosque was commissioned by the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul
Aziz, when he declared Shah Alam as the new capital of Selangor.

- 1982 - Construction began.

- 11 March 1988 - Construction completed.

- The Mosque is also known as the Blue Mosque owing to its blue dome.

- The mosque was listed in the Guinness World Records as having the tallest minaret in the
world
01 Architectural Style

Islamic Architecture

The architectural design of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul

Aziz Shah Mosque is a combination of traditional
Islamic, West Asian and Malay design elements.
01 Spaces

Main prayer hall Serambi Hallway to the entrance

of main prayer hall.
 02 Dome
The mosque stands out due to its blend Malay
and Middle Eastern architectural style.
Engraved quotations from the Qur’an in the
dome.
Interior of dome

The dome is constructed

with aluminium tube
coated with ‘Retvous
Enamelled Steel Panel’

Close up of dome

Exterior of dome
 03 Minarets

- 4 minarets was built and positioned at the 4

corners.

- The minarets function as a air-conditioning

mechanisms.

- 142.3 m tall
-
- Made of brick
 04 Stained glass

- The windows are fitted with blue stained-glass

panels.

- A serene bluish light upon its interior spaces

when sunlight shines through them has evoking
a sense of tranquility and serenity.
 05 Arches

- The pointed arches of the mosque are made by

forming each side of the arch from a different
center point.

- Constructively and systematically of the arch

creating a sense of balance and harmony.

- Taller vaulted ceilings, giving the mosque a sense

of grandeur.
 06 Mihrab
- The dome chamber contains the mihrab which
indicates the direction of the Kaabah shrine in
Makkah called qiblat.

- The mihrab is made of imported marble and

antique turkish tiles.

- Decorated with the Quranic verses.

- When imam lead the prayers, the opening of the

mihrab amplifies his voices.
 07 Facade
- The mosque express the sense of balance and
unity through the perfect symmetry and
harmonious proportional relationship.
-
 08 Decorative

- Fine decorative khat (Arabic calligraphy) can be

seen on the inner curve of the dome and parts of
the walls
 09 Building Material
- Concrete is the major material of the mosque.
- Aluminium grills of intricate design - doorways, windows and walls of the
Mosque.
- Stained glass - fitted on the windows
- Red balau and ramin timber wood - high ceiling
- Aluminium - dome
- Vitreous enamel-baked triangular steel panels - cladding of the dome
Thank you.