This is a list of former mosques of Singapore. These mosques have either been abandoned, are no longer used for prayer, or have been demolished completely to make way for redevelopments and urbanisation. Some of their roles have also been undertaken by larger mosques under the purview of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), Singapore's Islamic council.
Masjid Bukit Kasita, now abandoned, stands at the entrance of the Keramat Bukit Kasita sanctuary.
A ruined mosque, seemingly a 1930s construction, is located at the site of the Keramat Bukit Kasita cemetery-shrine which is hidden in the foliage of the Bukit Purmei housing estate.[2][3] The site is not accessible to the public except for worshippers of the shrine.
The preserved mosque building, now used as part of a madrasa
During colonial Singapore, the Kampung Siglap village, now present day Siglap, had a mosque to serve its Muslim residents. Reportedly built by the semi-legendary founder of the village, Tok Lasam, it was renovated in the 1900s with base funding from waqf donations by a wealthy woman named Hajah Hajijah.[4][5] With the growing population in modern Siglap, a new mosque was deemed necessary and was then constructed. The old mosque was preserved instead of being demolished, and was then converted into an activity hall.[6] Now it stands in the courtyard of Masjid Kampung Siglap, as part of the campus of the Tahfiz Al-Quran Center of Singapore.[7]
Demolished mosques
The following mosques have been demolished and razed to make way for redevelopments in their area and urbanization.
Bidadari Cemetery Mosque
Site of the former mosque at Bidadari Cemetery
Built in 1932 with a minaret evoking that of the Masjid al-Haram of Mecca, this mosque once stood within the Bidadari Cemetery, with a construction cost of $40,000 which was mostly borne by Syed Abdurrahman bin Shaikh Alkaff, who was then the head of the Alkaff family living in Singapore.[8] As the Bidadari Cemetery was gradually exhumed in the 70s to early 2000s to build the Bidadari housing estate, the need for a mosque felt redundant, and so it was set to be demolished in 2007.[9]
Masjid Alkaff
Masjid Alkaff was another mosque built by the Alkaff family, built in 1932 and located at Bedok. It was recognizable amongst the residents of Bedok due to its Indian influenced architectural style and minaret. The mosque was torn down in the 1980s, while another mosque, Masjid Alkaff Kampung Melayu, was built in homage to it that still stands today.
Masjid Aminah
Built in 1959, Masjid Aminah was a mosque located in Geylang East. It was named for Minah Palembang, the mosque's main benefactor.[10] It was renovated and expanded in 1971.[11] However, the mosque was demolished after 1986, while the larger Masjid Darul Aman was constructed as a replacement.[12]
Masjid Awam Changi
Masjid Awam Changi was a mosque located in the premises of the Changi Prison. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the mosque was deserted and it was used as a temporary Christian chapel for the British prisoners of war, dedicated to Saint George.[13][14] The brass Changi Cross was kept in this mosque until it was moved to the United Kingdom after the war, but later returned to Singapore again, where it is now a national artifact.[13][14]
Masjid Wak Sumang
Masjid Wak Sumang was a small village mosque, serving the Kampung Wak Sumang village in Punggol. Behind the mosque was a cemetery with the enshrined graves of Wak Sumang and his wife.[15] The mosque was eventually demolished in 1995, along with its village, for redevelopments in the Punggol area.[16][17] In 2015, Masjid Al-Islah was built, and is currently the only mosque in Punggol.
Masjid Kampong Holland
Masjid Kampong Holland in 2006
Masjid Kampong Holland was built in 1970, to serve the Muslims residing in Holland Village. The mosque stood in the way of plans to redevelop and expand the Holland Village area, which led to it being listed for removal.[18] The mosque held its last Friday prayers in mid-July 2014 before it was demolished in the same year.[19]
Masjid Radin Mas
Masjid Radin Mas, located at Telok Blangah, was built in 1920 and named for Radin Mas, a Malay princess whose mausoleum is located nearby.[20][21] In 1988, it was reported that the mosque suffered from structural issues due to old age, which included rainwater leaking into the main prayer hall.[22] Eventually, Masjid Radin Mas had to be closed down to make way for redevelopment works in 2001, while the larger and more advanced Masjid Al-Amin served as the main mosque in Telok Blangah.[23]
Masjid Naval Base
Built in 1968 at Sembawang, Masjid Naval Base was one of the mosques led by imams of the Malabar Muslim Jama'ath.[24][25] The mosque was eventually phased out and demolished by the early 2000s, while Masjid Assyafaah served as a potential replacement.[24]
Masjid Majapahit
Located in Boon Lay, this mosque was demolished in the early 2000s to make way for redevelopments along Jalan Majapahit.[26][27] As a response to the demolition, temporary Muslim prayer spaces were set up at void decks underneath apartment blocks in the Boon Lay neighborhood.[26][27]
Masjid Bengkali
Built out of wood, Masjid Bengkali was a predominantly attap structure located along Bencoolen Street that was later rebuilt with concrete by Syed Omar Aljunied in 1845.[28][29] It was demolished in 2001 to make way for the construction of the Somerset Bencoolen apartments.[29] A new mosque, Masjid Bencoolen, was integrated into the apartment complex as a replacement for the former mosque.[29]
Masjid Ma'arof
Located in Kampong Glam, Masjid Ma'arof was built in 1870. It was recognizable for its Javanese architectural style as well as a pool for ablution.[30][31] The mosque was also a community centre for the Javanese people living in colonial Singapore. Eventually, Masjid Ma'arof was demolished in 1996 to give way for future redevelopments in the area.[30][31] In 2016, a new mosque at Jurong West was named "Masjid Ma'arof" as a tribute to the demolished mosque.[32]
Masjid Jamiur Rahmah
Masjid Jamiur Rahmah was located along Yio Chu Kang Road and served the staff of the now-demolished Woodbridge Hospital, as well as the residents living in the Kampong Lorong Buangkok village.[33] It was reportedly built on the site of two smaller surau that were demolished to build the mosque.[34] However, the mosque itself was demolished in 1989 when a larger mosque, Masjid Al-Othmaniah, was opened in the same year.[35] However, Masjid Al-Othmaniah ceased to exist after the 1990s.
Bukit Larangan Mosque
In 1971, Malay newspaper Berita Harian reported the existence of a small mosque being attached to the monumental tomb-shrine of the semi-legendary king Iskandar Shah at Bukit Larangan, described as having a zinc roof.[36] The mosque and other adjoining facilities were demolished by 1975, while the tomb-shrine was retained and upgraded over the years, losing its religious attributions gradually, but eventually becoming a prominent monument of the Fort Canning site.[3] The tomb-shrine, now known as Keramat Iskandar Shah, is currently a tourist attraction and no longer a religious site, with the only religious elements being the crescent moon and star embedded on the stone sarcophagus that is placed on top the plastered-over grave.[3]
Masjid Bedok Laut
The small Masjid Bedok Laut was built in 1902 and was one of two mosques serving the southern part of Bedok, the other being Masjid Al-Taqua.[37] The mosque was demolished in 1984 to make way for redevelopments in Bedok.[38]
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