From the quaint, quiet and modest to the ostentatious, grand and glittering, that is Seasia’s edition of one of the best unique mosques in Southeast Asia.
These few really interesting mosques literally tell us how each nation within the region celebrates the truly amazing diversity of language, culture, traditions and religion practiced within the country.
AZAHAR MOSQUE – Vientiane, LAOS
Most Cambodian Muslims living in Vientiane are concentrated in towns near the town’s Chinatown.
At the middle of their settlement is the big mosque, founded in 1986, a graceful constructing topped by quite a few gilded domes and containing two large rooms. One room serves as a prayer room and the opposite as a maktab, where roughly fifty Cambodian Muslim children study in two day by day shifts, the schedule of which allows them to also attend regular school.
BENGALISUNNI JAMEH – YANGON, MYANMAR
The Bengali Sunni Jameh Mosque is situated in the middle of Yangon. Its design depicts an Islamic temple, the facade of which is beautifully decorated with architectural elements. It has a spectacular dome and minarets.
The mosque was built by the Muslim population of India in the course of the times of British colonialism.
AL-SERKAL – PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Al-Serkal Mosque is the essential mosque in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was a present from the Al Serkal family within the United Arab Emirates after the autumn of the Khmer Rouge. It lies north of the town, near the dry Boeung Kak Lake.
Another constructing, a present from the United Arab Emirates, replaced the traditional mosque, opened in 2014.
CENTRAL MOSQUE – HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
Built within the Nineteen Thirties by Muslims from southern India, the Saigon Central Mosque impresses visitors with its distinctive architecture, solemn atmosphere and halal food available outside.
Originally, the mosque was a spot exclusively for worshipers from South India who got here and lived in the town. However, now Muslims around the globe have the suitable to come back here to worship and practice their faith.
GREAT MOSQUE OF WEST SUMATRA – PADANG, INDONESIA
The mosque by architect Rizal Muslimin has a essential constructing consisting of three floors. The total area of the constructing is roughly 40,343 square meters and may accommodate roughly 20,000 worshippers. The mosque is designed to resist earthquakes of as much as SR 10 concurrently and might be used as an evacuation site within the event of a tsunami.
This mosque looks unique since the roof is inspired by the standard roof of a Minangkabau house and adapts the shape of a bit of fabric used to maneuver the Hajar Aswad stone in Mecca by the 4 quarreling Quraish tribes.
Meanwhile, the mihrab a part of the mosque is inspired by the stone type of Hajar Aswad with golden sculptures of Asmaul Husna on the roof.
300 YEARS – NARATHIWAT, THAILAND
The most virtue is that the mosque resembles a Buddhist temple. It consists of two interconnected buildings, a combination of local Thai, Chinese and Malay architectural styles. The constructing parts are woven together without nails, and above the roof there’s a plinth supporting the gable.
The Azan tower is in Chinese style and is situated on the rear of the roof. The tower has wood partitions with windows. The air vents are carved with floral and Chinese patterns. At the best level of the roof there’s a dome inbuilt the type of a Chinese pavilion. Both buildings are decorated with beautifully carved patterns.
The three hundredth Anniversary Mosque has been included within the list of historical buildings by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Today it remains to be used for religious practices amongst Muslims and likewise serves as a community center.
TUANKU MIZAN ZAINAL ABIDIN MOSQUE – PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
The “Iron Mosque” is provided with a city cooling system and fans or an air con system. The mosque uses “architectural wire mesh” imported from Germany and China, which can be being built on the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris.
The essential entrance was reinforced with glass-reinforced concrete to extend structural integrity, and precious glass was used to create the illusion of a white mosque from a distance.
ASSYAFAAH MOSQUE – SINGAPORE
Masjid Assyafaah was inbuilt 2004 and designed by local firm Forum Architects. They designed the mosque to suit a multi-racial and multi-religious community while integrating traditional Islamic symbols to resemble a mosque.
The most striking feature of the mosque is the ten-story minaret, product of rusty metal plates as a consequence of its natural shades. At night, the minaret “disappears”, leaving an illuminated crescent and star symbol floating above the mosque. Another feature is the reinterpretation of the arabesque, a standard symbol in Islamic art.
Sultan OMAR ALI SAIFUDDIEN Mosque – BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, BRUNEI
Completed in 1958, Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien – named after the twenty eighth Sultan of Brunei (the present sultan’s late father) – is surrounded by a man-made lagoon that serves as a reflecting pool.
This being Brunei, the inside is sort of lavish.
The floor and partitions are product of one of the best Italian marble, the chandeliers were made in England, and the luxurious carpets were flown in from Saudi Arabia. The essential dome is roofed with a glass mosaic consisting of three.5 million pieces, covered with real gold leaf.
Source: Various sources including Wikipedia and ICS travel group
