The National Mosque of Malaysia ( ms, Masjid Negara Malaysia) is a mosque in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among of gardens. Its key features are a minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. The umbrella, synonymous with the tropics, is featured conspicuously – the main roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella, the minaret's cap a folded one. The folded plates of the concrete main roof are a creative solution to achieving the larger spans required in the main gathering hall. Reflecting pools and fountains spread throughout the compound. Completed in 1965, the mosque is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly independent nation.

History

Malaya gained its

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

government on 31 August 1957. Major development programs in areas of the economy, social, and architecture were actively implemented in line with the new government. The programs were also to portray new progressive culture and achieved democracy. Therefore, on 30 July 1957, in the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, an idea to build a

national mosque This is an incomplete list of some of the more famous mosques around the world. List See also * Islamic architecture * List of largest mosques * List of the oldest mosques in the world ** List of mosques that are mentioned by name in the Q ...

as a symbol of the country's independence was mooted. In another meeting on 5 March 1958, Chief Ministers of the eleven states in the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...

, a proposal was made to name the mosque Masjid

Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, ‏تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...

, in recognition of Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman's efforts in guiding the country to gaining independence. However, Tunku refused this honour; on the contrary, he named it Masjid Negara in thanksgiving for the country's peaceful independence without bloodshed. The mosque was built on the former site of a church, the Venning Road Brethren Gospel Hall, which was acquired by the government in 1961. The church was offered land on Jalan Imbi as a replacement and is now known as Jalan Imbi Chapel. The original structure of the mosque was designed by a three-person team from the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

: UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians and Baharuddin Kassim. The engineer in charge of the construction of the mosque, which commenced in 1963 was Antony Morris. On Friday, 27 August 1965, the mosque was declared open by the third

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

, the late

Tuanku Syed Putra Tuanku Syed Harun Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail ( Jawi: ; 25 November 1920 – 16 April 2000) was the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya, and later of Malaysia and sixth Raja of Perlis. Early career He was the son of Syed Has ...

Perlis Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces o ...

. The mosque underwent major renovations in 1987, and the once-pink concrete roof is now clad in green and blue tiles. Today, Masjid Negara continues to stand sleek and stylish against the Kuala Lumpur skyline. An underground passage leads to the National Mosque located near the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

, along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. Its unique modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

art calligraphy and ornamentation. Near the mosque is the

Makam Pahlawan The Makam Pahlawan (Malay for Heroes' Mausoleum) is the burial ground of several Malaysian leaders and politicians. It is located near the Malaysian national mosque, Masjid Negara in the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. Construction of the mauso ...

(Heroes' Mausoleum), a burial ground of several Malaysian Muslim leaders. Makam Pahlawan is a 7-pointed star concrete roofed structure. On 27 August 2015, Masjid Negara celebrated its Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary).

Imams of the National Mosque

# Ghazali Abdullah (1965) # Mohs Salleh Hassan Farid # Sheikh Abdul Mohsein bin Salleh (1974-1975) # Ahmad Shahir bin Daud (1975-1980) # Abu Hassan bin Din Al-Hafiz (1981-1983) # Ahmad Shahir bin Daud (1984-1992) # Arifin Harun (1992-1993) # Taib Azamudden bin Md. Taib (1993-1999) # A. Jalil bin Sindring @ Prangerang (1999-Sep. 2001) # Wan Halim bin Wan Harun (2001-2004) # Kamaruddin bin Zakaria (2005-2006) # Tan Sri Dato' Sri Haji Ismail bin Haji Muhammad (February 2007 – 2019) # Haji Ehsan bin Mohd Hosni (February 2020 – present)

Transportation

The mosque is accessible within walking distance of

Kuala Lumpur railway station ( Jawi) zh, 吉隆坡 ta, கோலாலம்பூர் , address = Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50621 Kuala Lumpur , borough = , country = Malaysia , coordinates = , grid_name = ...

, served by the

KTM Komuter KTM Komuter is a commuter rail system in Malaysia operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM). It was introduced in 1995 to provide local rail services in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley suburban areas. Services were later expanded to ...

, and station, served by the

Kelana Jaya Kelana Jaya is a suburb of Petaling Jaya city, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia, comprising sections SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, and SS7. The Damansara–Puchong Expressway cuts through this neighbourhood. The shopping mall Paradigm Mall is located here ...

and

Kajang Kajang is a town in Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang, along with much of Hulu Langat District, is governed by the Kajang Municipal Council. Kajang town is located on the eastern banks of the Langat River. It is surrounded by ...

metro lines. The free

Go KL City Bus Go KL City Bus (style as ''GOKL CityBus'') is a free bus service in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Previously managed by Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), the services were taken over by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) by 1 Janu ...

(Red Line) has a stop at Masjid Negara.http://www.spad.gov.my/sites/default/files/gokl_brochure_map-v3e_final-print.pdf

References

External links

National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara) website

KL Heritage Trail: Masjid Negara−National Mosque
{{Authority control Mosques in Kuala Lumpur Mosques completed in 1965 1965 establishments in Malaysia Modernist architecture in Malaysia