Former mosques of Singapore

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The former mosques of Singapore are mosques in Singapore that have either been demolished completely or remain abandoned. Some of their roles have been taken up by larger, more modern mosques that are under the purview of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura. These mosques can at times be part of a former kampong (Malay village).

Contents

Disused mosques

The buildings of these mosques still exist, but are not used as a place for prayer or congregational prayer anymore.

Saint John's Island

Located on Saint John's Island is an abandoned mosque. [1] The mosque is abandoned due to the island not having any residents at all. [1]

Mosque of Kampung Siglap

The preserved mosque building, now used as part of a madrasa. The original Masjid Kampung Siglap.jpg
The preserved mosque building, now used as part of a madrasa.

The mosque of a pre-modern colonial village, Kampung Siglap, it was established on a waqf land donated in 1900 by a certain Hajah Hajijah. [2] Locals believe that the mosque was established by Tok Lasam, the semi-legendary founder of Siglap. [3] To accomodate the growing number of Muslim worshippers in Siglap, a new and larger mosque, Masjid Kampung Siglap, was built next to it in 1992, while the building itself was preserved and served as an activity hall. [4] In later years, the preserved mosque building became part of the Tahfiz Al-Quran Center of Singapore, a madrasa established within Masjid Kampung Siglap. [5]

Demolished mosques

Bidadari Mosque

This is the site of the former mosque at Bidadari Cemetery. Site of former mosque at Bidadari along Upper Serangoon Road.jpg
This is the site of the former mosque at Bidadari Cemetery.

Built in 1932, the Bidadari Mosque stood in the Muslim burial ground within the former Bidadari Cemetery. [6] [7] [8] It was demolished in 2007 as the cemetery was being exhumed and relocated to construct the Bidadari residential estate. [6] [8] [9]

The Naval Base Mosque, also alternatively known as Masjid Naval Base, was located at Sembawang, built in 1968. [10] The mosque was affiliated with the local Malabar community as well. [11] In the 2000s, the mosque was phased out and eventually demolished, being replaced by the larger and modernized Masjid Assyafaah. [10] [11]

Wak Sumang Mosque

The small Wak Sumang Mosque was named for Wak Sumang, a semi-legendary Muslim figure in Malay folklore. [12] It was located in the Punggol neighbourhood and was demolished in 1995 for urbanisation. [12] [13] Currently, its status as a mosque in Punggol has been taken over by Masjid Al Islah, which can fit more than 4,000 worshippers.

Masjid Radin Mas

Located at Telok Blangah, Masjid Radin Mas was built in 1920. [14] It was named for Radin Mas, a Javanese princess whose mausoleum is located nearby. [15] The mosque held religious classes for learning the Qur'an. By 1988, structural issues were reported with the mosque due to its age, such as rain leaking into its prayer hall, and hence plans were made for the construction of a larger mosque at an adjacent site within the same neighbourhood. [16] Masjid Radin Mas ceased operations in 2001 and was effectively replaced by the newer Masjid Al-Amin, built in 1991. [17]

India Lines Mosque

The abandoned India Lines Mosque was converted into a chapel dedicated to St. George by the British prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. [18] [19] The former mosque held the brass Changi Cross until the artifact was transferred to the current Changi chapel and then to Australia where the artifact now resides. [18] [19] It is assumed to have been demolished as said chapel no longer exists.

Masjid Kampong Holland

Masjid Kampong Holland before its demolition in 2014. Masjid KG Holland.JPG
Masjid Kampong Holland before its demolition in 2014.

Built in the 1970s, Masjid Kampong Holland was located in the Holland Village. [20] [21] To make way for the extension of Holland Village, the mosque was demolished in 2014. [21] The last prayers in the mosque were held in mid-July of the same year. [21]

Masjid Majapahit

Named for the historic Majapahit Empire, the mosque was demolished in the 2000s. [22] [23] It was located in the neighborhood of Boon Lay. [22] [23] The construction of temporary musallas under apartment blocks at Boon Lay was intended as a response to this demolition. [22]

Masjid Aminah

Masjid Aminah was built in the 1960s and located in Geylang, named after a woman named Minah Palembang who funded the construction of the mosque. [24] The mosque was demolished in 1971 to make way for the expansion of streets within Geylang. [24] The larger Masjid Darul Aman was built in 1986 to replace Masjid Aminah. [25] [26]

Masjid Alkaff

Built in 1932, the Masjid Alkaff stood at Kaki Bukit, a district now part of the Bedok neighbourhood. [27] [28] [29] Construction of the mosque was financed by Syed Ahmad Alkaff as well as Bugis merchant, Ambo Sooloh. [30] Due to redevelopment projects in the Bedok area, Masjid Alkaff was demolished in the 1980s. [28] [31] However, it was replaced by Masjid Alkaff Kampung Melayu that was officialized in 1995. [27]

Former residents of Bedok described the now-demolished Masjid Alkaff as resembling a Hindu temple in architectural style. [30] An image of the old mosque can be seen in a 1994 article.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "St. John's Island". TimeOut. 18 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Inilah dermawan yang wakafkan tanah dirikan Masjid Kampung Siglap". Berita Harian. 17 October 2009. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "Usaha kekal kubur penghulu". Berita Harian. 28 May 1993. p. 13.
  4. ↑ "Kampung feel kept alive in Siglap mosque". The Straits Times. 10 June 1992. p. 22.
  5. ↑ "About Us | Masjid Kampung Siglap Darul Quran Singapura". Masjid Kampung Siglap. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 Chow, Alex. "Bidadari Cemetery". Singapore National Library Board. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "New Mosque". The Straits Times. 27 June 1932. p. 6.
  8. 1 2 Poh, Joanne (22 February 2018). "Eye on Bidadari: From burial ground to boomtown". Yahoo! Finance.
  9. ↑ "Shame to demolish old Bidadari Mosque". The Straits Times. 8 May 2007. p. 36.
  10. 1 2 "Masjid Assyafaah". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Our Community – Heritage @ Malabar Mosque" . Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Documenting Singapore's lost mosques". Southeast Asian Archaeology. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "Masjid Wak Sumang, 1993: General View". Singapore National Library Board. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "Kekal dalam ingatan". Berita Harian. 3 July 2001. p. 5.
  15. ↑ "Makam Puteri Radin Mas (Keramat Radin Mas)". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  16. ↑ "Usul bina semula Masjid Radin Mas". Berita Harian. 1 April 1998. p. 10.
  17. ↑ "Masjid Radis Mas ditutup mulai lusa". Berita Harian. 30 June 2001. p. 13.
  18. 1 2 "Harry Stogden and the Changi Cross". www.fepow-community.org.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  19. 1 2 "St. George's Church, Changi, Singapore (Jan 1943) | The Changi POW Artwork of Des Bettany" . Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  20. ↑ "Holland Village mosque to close by end-2013". The Straits Times (Afternoon ed.). 4 July 2012. p. 5.
  21. 1 2 3 "Last Prayers At KG Holland Mosque". The Straits Times. 26 April 2014. p. 15.
  22. 1 2 3 "Pop-up void deck prayer spaces encapsulate the inspiring Muslim community spirit". mothership.sg. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  23. 1 2 "Singapore Editorial Photographer - Musollah". Zakaria Zainal. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  24. 1 2 "Aminah Mosque at New Sims Avenue, between 1971 and 1984". Singapore National Library Board. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  25. ↑ "History - Masjid Darul Aman". 15 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  26. ↑ Singapore, National Library Board. "Masjid Darul Aman at 1 Jalan Eunos, between 1986 and 1991". www.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
  27. 1 2 "New Masjid Alkaff Mosque completed". The Straits Times. 30 July 1995. p. 3.
  28. 1 2 "Mosque to Come Up in Bedok to Replace Alkaff". The Straits Times. 5 March 1982. p. 10.
  29. ↑ "Masjid Alkaff dirasmi petang ini". Berita Harian. 29 July 1995. p. 12.
  30. 1 2 "Masjid Alkaff hilang berganti". Berita Harian. 23 December 1994. p. 16.
  31. ↑ "Masjid Alkaff Kampung Melayu | learnislam" (in Malay). Retrieved 9 March 2025.
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