 Jamae Mosque, Singapore
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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 at 218 South Bridge Road, within Singapore's Chinatown, and a short distance from the Sri Mariamman Temple. The street beside it was named Mosque Street after it.
Jamae Mosque (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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 prolific 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
Take the MRT North East Line to the Chinatown MRT Station (NE4) and walk a short distance from there.
Location Map of Jamae Mosque
Jamae Mosque, entrance (10 July 2006)
© Timothy Tye
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