Masjid Jamae

Masjid Jamae
The main facade of Masjid Jamae that faces South Bridge Road.
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Location
Location218 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058767
CountrySingapore
Masjid Jamae is located in Singapore
Masjid Jamae
Location in Singapore
Coordinates1°16′59″N 103°50′43″E / 1.2831802°N 103.8452039°E / 1.2831802; 103.8452039
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleEclectic
FounderAnsar Saib
Established1826
Completed1830–1835
Minaret2
Designated as NHL
National monument of Singapore
Designated19 November 1974 (19 November 1974)
Reference no.13

Masjid Jamae Chulia, alternatively simply known as Masjid Jamae (Malay: Masjid Jamae, Jawi: مسجد جامعة‎, Tamil: மஸ்ஜித் ஜாமிஆ, romanized: Masjit Jāmi'ā), or the Periya Palli (பெரிய பள்ளி; meaning "Big Mosque") is a mosque located in Chinatown, Singapore. Built in the 19th century by Indian Muslim immigrants from South India, the mosque is one of the earliest to be built in the country. Along with its neighbour, the Sri Mariamman Temple, both of them stand out in the predominately Chinese district and have been gazetted as national monuments.

The appearance of the mosque has remained generally the same as when it was first built in the 1830s.

Etymology

The name of the mosque, Jamae, is a romanticization of the Arabic word jāmi (جَامِع) which is a term used for congregational mosques that conduct the Friday prayer.[1] Supporting this is the fact that the mosque was also known as Masjid Khuṭba, named after the khutbah, the name of the sermon given before the Friday prayer.[2] In Tamil, the mosque is known as Periya Palli, which literally means "big mosque" due to the fact that the mosque is the largest in the Chinatown area.[3]

History

Masjid Jamae as seen in an image from the 1900s.

The mosque was established in 1826 by the Chulias, a group of Indian Muslim migrants who worked in what is now the Chinatown district.[4][5][6] This was a first in the series of mosques built by the Chulias; who later established Masjid Al-Abrar and the Nagore Durgha, both along Telok Ayer Street in the same locality.[6] Tradition credits a man named Ansar Saib as being the founder of the mosque, but his origins are relatively unknown in the historical record.[7] The present structure was completed between 1830 to 1835.[4][5] In the late 19th century, the mosque was taken over by Twelver Shi'ites, who celebrated the festival of Muharram in the mosque. The mosque was later returned to the hands of Sunni Muslims before 1894, where the state courts assigned a group of trustees to look after the mosque.[4] Then in 1917, management of the mosque was given to the Muslim and Hindu Endowments Board.[3] After Singapore's independence in 1965, the management was finally transferred to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS).[8]

The mosque was gazetted as a national monument on 19 November 1974.[9][10] The burial ground in the courtyard behind the main prayer hall was closed for burials in 1973. This burial ground, with the exception of the mausoleum, was exhumed in 2001.[7] In 2008, $5 million was donated to help conserve both Masjid Jamae and Masjid Al-Abrar among other monuments in the area.[11]

In 2022, Minister of State for National Development, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim announced a massive restoration project that cost at least $3 million.[12] With assistance from the MUIS, the restoration was completed in 2024, which included the mosque being extensively repainted, elderly-friendly features improvised; while a new madrasa was established within the mosque.[13][14]

Architecture

The main building of Masjid Jamae which contains the ancillary hall.

Masjid Jamae's architectural style has been described as eclectic, blending different Indian and European styles together including Indo-Saracenic and Neoclassical elements.[4] The Indian aesthetics of the mosque help to make it stand out from the Chinese-dominated scene, along with its neighbour, the Sri Mariamman Temple.[15] The general appearance of the mosque has not changed and has remained the same since the original structure, which was built between 1830–1835 and renovated in the late 1880s.[8]

The staircase leading to the parapet where the minarets are situated.

The entrance of the mosque is flanked by two tall minarets, each topped by an onion dome and comprising seven levels with deep recesses between.[4] A pair of smaller towers, each topped with a dome, sits between the two minarets and is connected to then with an elaborately carved cement fencing.[4] Behind the foyer, at the entrance, is a staircase leading to the parapet for accessibility to the minarets.[3][16] The minarets date back to the late 1880s and before this, were formerly smaller and cylinder-like in appearance.[7]

A closer view at one of the mosque's minarets.

The ancillary hall of the mosque contains the main prayer hall as well as an extension of the prayer hall which contains exhibits relating to the history and beliefs in the Islamic religion.[14] Green glazed tiles and rows of Tuscan columns line the interior walls of the room, while Doric columns support the roof of the main prayer hall.[3][16] The window grilles of the prayer hall are all Chinese in design and aesthetic.[4] Meanwhile, the ablution area of the mosque is located directly outside the main prayer hall.

A mausoleum stands in the corner of the mosque, built in a style that is uniform to the main mosque building.[16] This mausoleum is dedicated to a saint, Muhammad Salih, while the grave inside has existed on the site even before the construction of the mosque.[17] The mausoleum does not intersect with the qibla of the mosque, due to an Islamic ruling that forbids praying in the direction of graves.[18]

The mosque has only one entrance which faces South Bridge Road. There were reportedly more entrances to the mosque in the 1850s, such as one which faced Mosque Street, but these entrances do not exist anymore.[7]

Exterior of Masjid Jamae

  • The mosque before the repainting.
    The mosque before the repainting.
  • The mosque in the late afternoon, during the Asr prayer.
    The mosque in the late afternoon, during the Asr prayer.

Interior of Masjid Jamae

  • Main entrance of the mosque.
    Main entrance of the mosque.
  • The entrance to the ancillary hall of the mosque.
    The entrance to the ancillary hall of the mosque.
  • Inside the ancillary hall of the mosque.
    Inside the ancillary hall of the mosque.
  • The interior of the main prayer hall.
    The interior of the main prayer hall.
  • The mihrab and minbar inside the main prayer hall.
    The mihrab and minbar inside the main prayer hall.

Historic photographs of Masjid Jamae

  • An image of the mosque from the 1900s.
    An image of the mosque from the 1900s.
  • The mosque appears in stereographs of South Bridge Road from the 1900s.
    The mosque appears in stereographs of South Bridge Road from the 1900s.
  • A postcard from the 1900s depicting Masjid Jamae and the neighbouring temple. Note the smaller minarets.
    A postcard from the 1900s depicting Masjid Jamae and the neighbouring temple. Note the smaller minarets.

Transportation

Masjid Jamae is accessible from both the Chinatown MRT station and the Maxwell MRT station.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ M. Bloom, Jonathan, ed. (2009). "Mosque". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. pp. 548–549. ISBN 9780195309911.
  2. ^ "Mohammedan and Hindu Endowments Board". Straits Echo. 18 July 1991. p. 2.
  3. ^ a b c d Liu, Gretchen (1996). In Granite and Chunam: The National Monuments of Singapore (1st ed.). Singapore: Landmark Books. ISBN 9789813065031.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Keys, Peter (10 January 1982). "Classic in design, rich in history". The Straits Times. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b Don, Ahmad (22 June 1982). "Masjid-masjid lama diperbaru tujuan dikekal binaan dulu" [Old mosques are being renovated with the aim of preserving their original construction]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 5.
  6. ^ a b Hamid, Abdul Ghani (20 March 1989). "Mengenali budaya menerusi masjid lama" [Getting to know culture through the old mosques]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 5.
  7. ^ a b c d Gibson, William (2022). "A complete catalog of keramat in Singapore". Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship Submission (Digitised ed.): 125–130 – via National Library Board.
  8. ^ a b Eunos, Nadzri (15 June 2007). "Masjid Chulia di tengah Chinatown" [The Chulia Mosque in the centre of Chinatown]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 6.
  9. ^ Hooi, Christopher (1982). National Monuments of Singapore. Singapore: National Museum.
  10. ^ "Mosque will get facelift". New Nation. 28 March 1981. p. 10.
  11. ^ "$5m to help conserve monuments". The Straits Times. 13 July 2008. p. 17.
  12. ^ Shafeeq, Syarafana (9 October 2022). "196-year-old Jamae Chulia Mosque in Chinatown to get $3m restoration from end-2022". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  13. ^ Ismail, Fakhraddin (28 May 2024). "Masjid bersejarah kini lebih mesra warga emas, golongan kurang upaya" [Historic mosque now more friendly to seniors, disabled people]. Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b Hazman, Mohammed (24 May 2024). "Masjid Jamae Chulia berwajah baru" [Masjid Jamae Chulia has a new face]. Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Ketahui warisan masjid, kuil Hindu di tengah-tengah enklaf Cina" [Know the history of the mosque and Hindu temple in the centre of the Chinese enclave]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 14 April 2018. p. 13.
  16. ^ a b c Zaccheus, Melody (16 March 2017). "Mosque for the 'Tamil milkman'". The Straits Times. p. 17.
  17. ^ Tschacher, Torsten (2006). "From Local Practice to Transnational Network — Saints, Shrines and Sufis among Tamil Muslims in Singapore". Asian Journal of Social Science. 34 (2): 225–242. ISSN 1568-4849.
  18. ^ Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (1998). Strauch, Sameh (ed.). Kitāb al-Tawḥīd Explained (PDF). Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: International Islamic Publishing House. ISBN 9960672573.
  19. ^ "Masjid Jamae (Mosque) - 218 South Bridge Road (S)058767". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
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