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Masjid Jamae

Coordinates: 1°17′00″N 103°50′44″E / 1.2832°N 103.8455°E / 1.2832; 103.8455
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Jamae (Chulia) Mosque
Masjid Jamae (Chulia)
(سولية‎) مسجد جامع‎
ஜாமிஆ (சூலியா) பள்ளிவாசல்
Jamae Chulia Mosque at South Bridge Road in Chinatown, Singapore.
Jamae (Chulia) Mosque at South Bridge Road in Chinatown of Singapore
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
RegionSouth East Asia
RiteShafi'i (Primary)
Governing bodyMajlis Ugama Islam Singapura
Year consecrated1826
StatusActive
Location
Location218 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058767
Country Singapore
location of Jamae Chulia Mosque in Singapore.
location of Jamae Chulia Mosque in Singapore.
Location of the mosque
Geographic coordinates1°17′00″N 103°50′44″E / 1.2832°N 103.8455°E / 1.2832; 103.8455
Architecture
Architect(s)George Drumgoole Coleman
TypeMosque
StyleIndo-Islamic, eclectic
FounderAnsar Saib
Date established1826
Groundbreakingcirca. 1830
Completedcirca. 1835
Specifications
Direction of façadeQibla
Capacity1,500
Interior area4,809 sq m
Dome(s)0
Minaret(s)2
Shrine(s)1 (Muhammad Salih)
InscriptionsArabic calligraphy
Designated as NHL
Designated19 November 1974
Reference no.13
Website
masjidjamaechulia.sg

Jamae Mosque[a] is one of the earliest mosques in Singapore, and is located on South Bridge Road in the Chinatown district within the Central Area. The mosque was established in 1826. This mosque is also known as Chulia Mosque[b] and Periya Paḷḷi[c] among the Tamil Muslim community in Singapore.[2] Together with its neighbour, Sri Mariamman Temple, the mosque stands out in its predominantly Chinese location. The Mosque Street that runs beside it may have been named after this mosque.[3]

History

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View of the mosque ca. 1900

Jamae Mosque was established by the Chulias, who were Tamil Muslims from the Coromandel Coast of South India. They came to Singapore mostly as traders and money changers and set up three mosques within a short time, with Jamae Mosque being the first. The other two are Al-Abrar Mosque and Nagore Durgha, both of which are on Telok Ayer Street. A mosque was initially set up on South Bridge Road around 1826 under the leadership of Ansar Saib, and the current Jamae Mosque was then constructed on the site between 1830 and 1835.[4]

In 1881, after the early benefactors had died, a lease was granted to five trustees of the mosque, and in 1894, the Jamae Mosque and Nagore Durgha were placed under a new panel of court-appointed trustees. In 1917, the Mohammedan and Hindu Endowments Board took over the management of the mosque until 1968, when it handed the reins over to Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS).[5][2]

Despite two proposals to rebuild it, the present structure has remained more or less unchanged since it was completed in 1835. Repair work was undertaken in 1996.[5] Jamae Mosque is skewed towards Mecca although the mosque's compound is aligned with the street grid.

Jamae Mosque's value as a historical site was recognised when it was gazetted as a national monument on 19 November 1974.[2]

A burial ground used to exist in the courtyard of the mosque until it was exhumed in 2000. This action was contradictory to the preservation guidelines set in 1991, which recommended the preservation of the cemetery. Regardless, the bodies were exhumed and reinterred at other local Muslim cemeteries.[6]

In 2022, it was announced by Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim that the mosque would undergo a S$3 million restoration project with development expected to be ready by 2025.[1]

Architecture

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Masjid Jamae, showing the minarets which are octagonal at the base

Worshippers enter the mosque through a gateway framed by two minarets topped by onion domes and a miniature four-storey palace façade. Rising out of solid bases, each minaret comprises seven levels embellished with a miniature mihrab motif and deep recesses. The palace façade sits on top of the gate, between the minarets. Intricately designed, it features tiny doors and cross-shaped windows.

In the mosque compound are a covered foyer, the main prayer hall, and the ancillary prayer hall. From the foyer, a stairway leads to the parapet from which calls to prayer would have been announced. Beyond the foyer is the ancillary prayer hall, a square airy room with arched openings in its brick walls. Timber fanlights and bars decorate each opening, as do patterned Chinese green glazed tiles. Inside the ancillary hall is the main prayer hall. Also a square airy room, it is supported by two rows of Tuscan columns with elaborate mouldings. Verandahs lie on the north and south sides, separated from the hall proper by timber doors.

The mosque's architectural style is eclectic that reflected the architectural styles of 1830s Singapore. While the entrance gate is distinctively South Indian, the two prayer halls and the shrine are in the Neo-Classical style typical of George Drumgoole Coleman, the first trained architect in Singapore.[4] This uniqueness of Jamae Mosque made it a well-photographed landmark that may be seen in postcards from the 19th century to the present day.[7]

Mausoleum

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The mausoleum of Muhammad Salih behind the main mosque building.

An enshrined mausoleum, or makam, is located within the grounds of the mosque, behind the main mosque building.[2][5][6] It is the burial place of Muhammad Salih (died 19th century), a Muslim mystic who was known for his habit of boiling water baths and being one of the first leaders of the mosque. At the time of his death, his funeral had to be delayed due to dangerous riots in the area.[8] A spot for his grave was decided upon in the grounds of Masjid Jamae, where afterwards a burial ground was also established. The burial ground was exhumed in 2000 with the exception of Muhammad Salih's grave, which still remains in the mausoleum built around it.[6]

The mausoleum is built in a style uniform to that of the main mosque, with a tiled roof and concrete walls painted in the same colour. It's floor is tiled and the grave of the saint is in the centre, covered by cloth. Formerly two other graves existed in the mausoleum but they are no longer present.[6]

Due to the status of Masjid Jamae as a national monument, the mausoleum enjoys a form of protection from the government.[6]

Transportation

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The mosque is accessible from Chinatown MRT station.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ (Malay: Masjid Jamae, Jawi: مسجد جامعة‎, Tamil: மஸ்ஜித் ஜாமிஆ, romanized: Masjit Jāmi'ā)
  2. ^ (Malay: Masjid Chulia, Jawi: مسجد سولية \ چولية‎, Tamil: மஸ்ஜித் சூலியா, romanized: Masjit Cūliyā)
  3. ^ (பெரிய பள்ளி, meaning the "Big Mosque")[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Shafeeq, Syarafana (9 October 2022). "196-year-old Jamae Chulia Mosque in Chinatown to get $3m restoration from end-2022". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Jamae Mosque". Roots. National Heritage Board.
  3. ^ Savage, Victor R. (2013). Singapore street names : a study of toponymics. Brenda S. A. Yeoh. Singapore. p. 601. ISBN 978-981-4484-74-9. OCLC 868957283.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Wan Meng Hao (15 April 2011). Heritage Places of Singapore. Cavendish Square Publishing. pp. 20–21. ISBN 9789814312950.
  5. ^ a b c "Jamae Mosque". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
  6. ^ a b c d e Gibson, William L. (2022). A complete catalogue of keramat in Singapore (Digitised ed.). Singapore National Library Board.
  7. ^ "History of the Mosque". Masjid Jamae.
  8. ^ "Urs (Haul) of Shaykh Muhammad Salih". IslamicEvents. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  • National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 981-4068-23-3
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