Masjid Wak Tanjong

Masjid Wak Tanjong
Masjid Wak Tanjong in 2025.
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Location
Location	25 Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 409004
Country	Singapore
Location in Singapore
Geographic coordinates	1°19′03″N103°53′31″E / 1.3175281°N 103.8919980°E / 1.3175281; 103.8919980
Architecture
Architect(s)	Akitek Yeokhoo
Style	Indo-Saracenic architecture
Founder	Wak Tanjong
Date established	1837
Completed	1933–1935
Capacity	at least 500
Website
https://www.waktanjong.org

The Masjid Wak Tanjong is a mosque located in the Geylang planning area near Paya Lebar in the East Region, Singapore. It is named for Wak Tanjong, who is the founder of the mosque.

History

The mosque was established in 1837 by Wak Tanjong, a Bugis Muslim trader and merchant from Malacca. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} It was originally a small building made of wood and timber. ^[4] However, the present-day mosque was built in 1933 or 1935. ^{[1] [2] [5]} The mosque was subsequently expanded in the 1970s. ^{[1] [2]} In the 1990s, plans were made for a reconstruction of the mosque to hold more congregants. ^{[6] [7]} The major reconstruction started in the month of April, 1996. ^[7] Masjid Wak Tanjong was ultimately reopened in 1998. ^{[5] [8] [9]}

During the floods in Singapore in January 2018, the mosque was affected by the floods but the waters did not enter into main prayer hall due to the water level not reaching higher than the stairs at the entrance. ^[10] In 2024, the mosque celebrated its 150th anniversary with the installation of a plaque to commemorate its founding since 1873. ^[3]

Architecture

The present mosque is built with Indo-Saracenic architecture. ^[1] However, parts of the mosque are also made with Malay architectural elements. ^[5] At the rear of the mosque is where the graves of Wak Tanjong and his wife used to rest, having been preserved in the 1998 reconstruction. ^[9] However, the graves were exhumed in the early 2000s following another renovation. ^[11] The reconstructed mosque was designed by an architectural firm, Akitek Yeokhoo. ^[6]

Gallery

Exterior

• 
  Masjid Wak Tanjong in 2013.
• 
  The mosque as seen from a street opposite it.

Interior

• 
  The main prayer hall of the mosque during the evening hours (close to the time of Maghrib).
• 
  The prayer hall for female congregants, which is used by the male congregants during the Friday prayers. ^[12]

Aerial view

• 
  The mosque is visible in an aerial shot of Paya Lebar MRT station.

See also

• List of mosques in Singapore

References

1. "Tradisi Membina Legasi: A tradition of building legacies". Masjid Wak Tanjong.
2. "Wakaf Heritage Trail 2021". muslim.sg. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
3. "Masjid Wak Tanjong lancar kempen 'Legasi Kesyukuran' sempena ulang tahun ke-150". BERITA Mediacorp. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
4. "Wak Tanjong adalah peniaga Melayu". Berita Harian. 2 May 1996. p. 2.
5. "Masjid dekat MRT Singapore itu bernama Wak Tanjong di Paya Lebar". SunburstAdventure.com (in Indonesian). 6 June 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
6. "Masjid Wak Tanjong dibangun semula". Berita Harian. 19 March 1993. p. 28.
7. "Masjid Wak Tanjong dibina semula April". Berita Harian. 23 February 1996. p. 2.
8. "Wak Tanjong Mosque | learnislam" . Retrieved 1 March 2025.
9. "Kubur Wak Tanjong kekal terpelihara". Berita Harian. 7 August 1998. p. 9.
10. "Mengapa dewan solat Masjid Wak Tanjong tak banjir". Berita Harian (in Malay). 14 January 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
11. Gibson, William L. (2022). A complete catalogue of keramat in Singapore (Digitised ed.). Singapore National Library Board.
12. Footnote: Women do not participate in Friday prayers, generally, according to the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura. So the prayer hall is empty and used by men.