About

Masjid Sultan is located at Muscat Street and North Bridge Road within the Kampong Glam district of Rochor Planning Area in Singapore. The mosque is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore. The prayer hall and domes highlight the mosque's star features. sultan Mosque is the real centre of the Muslim community. The mosque that stands today is the second Sultan Mosque to be built on this site. The first was built in 1826, partially funded by the East India Company as part of their agreement to leave Kampong Glam to Sultan Hussein and his family in return for sovereign rights to Singapore. The present mosque was built in 1928 and was funded by donations from the Muslim community. The Saracenic flavour of the onion domes, topped with crescent moons and stars, is complemented by Mogul cupolas. Funny thing, though The mosque was designed by an Irish guy named Denis Santry, who was working for the architectural firm Swan and McLaren.

History

In 1819, Sultan Hussein signed an agreement with Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company allowing the British to establish a trading post on the island. Hussein then requested for a mosque to be built near his istana (Malay for “palace”) in Kampong Glam. Raffles agreed and contributed $3,000 to the construction of the mosque. Completed in 1826, the original mosque was a single-storey building with a double-tiered roof.5

In 1879, the mosque received gifts of land from Tunku Alam Sultan Alauddin Alam Shah, Sultan Hussein’s grandson, and Tunku Aleem, an unknown benefactor. Tunku Alam appointed a five-man committee to look after the mosque; this was later replaced by a board of 12 trustees in 1914.6

By 1924, the almost-century-old mosque was in need of repairs. The trustees proposed the construction of a new and larger mosque at an estimated cost of $200,000.7 The new mosque was built in phases, partly due to a lack of funds (fundraising was ongoing during construction) and partly to avoid disrupting worshippers.8 During the mosque’s construction, North Bridge Road was extended beyond Arab Street and had to bend around the mosque.9 The mosque was formally opened on 27 December 1929, though the building was two-thirds completed at the time.10 It was eventually completed in 1932.11

In 1968, repairs to the mosque were undertaken, including painting and the installation of new floor tiles. The renovation took place in phases, as and when funds were available. The renovations amounted to S$145,000, almost S$108,000 of which was raised through donations from the Muslim community and about S$37,000 donated by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.12

Due to its historical and cultural significance, the mosque was gazetted as a national monument on 8 March 1975.13

In 1987, an extension to the mosque was built. Donations for the project included S$53,000 from the World Muslim League in Saudi Arabia.14 Designed in a style similar to the main mosque, the S$4.2 million annexe was officially opened by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 10 July 1993.15

In August 2014, the mosque underwent a major facelift under the Mosque Upgrading Programme led by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, or MUIS). The restoration works included restoring broken doors and windows to their original design and colour; rewiring; retiling; and replacing appliances such as fans and chandeliers. The new and expanded amenities include elderly friendly facilities such as lifts and an auditorium that can accommodate 390 people. The restoration and upgrading cost an estimated S$3.65 million. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled a plaque on 16 January 2016 to mark its completion.16

Dress code

• Male: Sleeved Tops & Long Pants
• Female: Long-sleeved Tops, No Cleavage & Bottoms Down to Ankle
• Students: Sleeved Tops & Track Pants

*Clothes Must Not be See-through

How to reach

By Bus

North Bridge Rd : Bus No: 7, 32, 51, 61, 63, 80, 145, 197, 175 & 648

Victoria Street : Bus No: 2, 7, 12, 32, 33, 51, 61, 63, 130, 133, 145, 197 & 175

Beach Road : Bus No: 100, 107, 961 & 980

By Mass Rapid Transit (MRT):

From Bugis MRT Station (About 10 mins walk)

From Jalan Besar MRT Station (About 10 mins walk)

Timings