This site is gazetted as a National Monument of Singapore on 29 November 1974.
Your base for exploring this destination is the city of Singapore. For travel information about Singapore, go to Singapore Travel Guide. If planning a trip to Singapore, view the Singapore Budget Accommodation Map to find a suitable place to spend the night.
Al-Abrar Mosque, also known as Masjid Al-Abrar, Kuchu Palli and Masjid Chulia, is an Indian Muslim mosque, and one of the oldest mosques in Singapore. The name Kuchu Palli means "hut mosque", to denote the mosque's rather modest structure. The fact that it is located on Telok Ayer Street means it has been around for a long while, even before the land on the opposite side of Telok Ayer Street was reclaimed - Teluk Ayer Street used to overlook the sea. It was here that the Chulias who arrived from the Coromandel coast of South India settled.
Al-Abrar Mosque.
There was already a makeshift mosque on the site of the Al-Abrar Mosque as early as 1827. A brick structure was built to replace the hut mosque in around 1850-1855. In 1890, the trustee was granted a 999-year lease on the land. In 1910, five trustees were appointed to the board of the Al-Abrar Mosque. They are the same trustees for the Jamae Mosque and the Nagore Durgha Shrine.
The Al-Abrar Mosque occupies an area equal to the width of three shophouse. Although it follows the alignment of the street, it also manages to face Mecca. The architecture is Indian-Islamic, reflecting its original owners. There was little change to the appearance of the mosque, with only minor repairs done in the 1950's and mid-1980's. However, in 1986 and 1989, major renovations were carried out that changed the appearance of the mosque as we see it today. Nevertheless, the changes were sensitive to the original style. I photographed the Al-Abrar Mosque while Singapore Chinatown and documenting the heritage sites for AsiaExplorers.
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