About Jamae Mosque
Jamae Mosque, also known as Chulia Mosque, Maideen Mosque or simply the Big Mosque, is one of the oldest mosques in Singapore. It is located within Singapore's Chinatown, a short distance from the Sri Mariamman Temple. The street beside it, Mosque Street, was named after it.
Jamae Mosque was established by the Indian Muslims - specifically the Tamil Muslims, or Chulias, who were traders from the Coromandel Coast of South India. They founded the mosque in 1826. The name Masjid Jamae means "Friday Mosque". The mosque is also known as Chulia Mosque, Maideen Mosque and the Big Mosque among the Indian Muslim community in Singapore. Masjid Jamae influenced the naming of the street that runs beside it as Mosque Street.
Masjid Jamae was the first Chulia Muslim place of worship that was set up, and within a short time, it was followed successively by the Al-Abrar Mosque and the Nagore Durgha Shrine, both of which are on Telok Ayer Street nearby.
The present building of the Jamae Mosque dates to between 1830 and 1835, and has remained pretty much faithful to its original design. It consists of a covered foyer, a main prayer hall and an ancillary prayer hall, and a shrine to a local Muslim religious leader, Muhammad Salih Valinvah. Although the mosque is aligned to face Mecca, the compound itself follows the street grid. Although the gate of the Jamae Mosque is in the South Indian style, similar to the Nagore Durgha Shrine, the prayer halls and shrine are in the Neoclassical style. This eclectic mix of architectural styles was the work of the architect who designed it, the ever prolifie George Drumgoole Coleman, whose structures in Singapore include churches as well.
The Masjid Jamae was gazetted a National Monument of Singapore on 29 November 1974.
Getting there
The nearest MRT stations are the Chinatown Station (NE4).
Where to stay
There is a wide selection of accommodation providers in Singapore. They range from budget inns and guesthouses to luxurious boutique hotels and branded chains. Your choice is entirely dependent on your budget and level of comfort expected. For mainstream hotels, check out hotels in Singapore for the best online prices, sourced from all the major providers. For guesthouses and other budget providers, check out hostels in Singapore for those with online booking facilities.
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Jamae Mosque (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
Location Map of Jamae Mosque
Jamae Mosque, entrance (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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