- National Mosque of Malaysia
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National Mosque
Masjid Negara
国家清真寺
தேசிய பள்ளிவாசல்
The National Mosque of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur
Location Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Established 1965 Branch/tradition Sunni Ownership Malaysian government Architectural information Architect(s) Howard Ashley, Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim Style Modern Capacity 15,000 Minaret height 73m Materials concrete 
Minaret of the National Mosque
An inside view of the National Mosque of Malaysia
Friday prayer inside main prayer hall.
A structure part of the Mosque.The National Mosque of Malaysia is located in Kuala Lumpur. It has a capacity of 15,000 people and is situated among 13 acres (53,000 m2) of beautiful gardens. The original structure was designed by a three-person team from the Public Works Department - UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim. The mosque was built in 1965 on the site of a church, the Venning Road Brethren Gospel Hall which had stood there since 1922 but appropriated by the Malaysian government[1]. The mosque is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly-independent Malaysia.
Its key features are a 73-metre-high minaret and an 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 is a creative solution to achieving the larger spans required in the main gathering hall. Reflecting pools and fountains spread throughout the compound.
Contents
History
Malaya gained its independence from the British government on 31 August 1957. Major development programs in areas of 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 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, a proposal was made to name the mosque Masjid Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, in recognition of Yang Teramat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj’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 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, along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. Its unique modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art calligraphy and ornamentation. Near the mosque is the Makam Pahlawan (Heroes' Mausoleum), a burial ground of several Malaysian politicians. Makam Pahlawan is a 7-pointed star concrete roofed structure.
Imams of Masjid Negara
- Haji Ghazali Abdullah (1965)
- Hj. Mohd Salleh Hassan Farid
- Datuk Sheikh Abdul Mohsein ibn Hj. Salleh (1974-1975)
- Dato' Hj. Ahmad Shahir ibn Haji Daud (1975-1980)
- Dato' Hj. Hassan Din Al-Hafiz (1981-1983)
- Dato' Hj. Ahmad Shahir ibn Haji Daud (1984-1992)
- Haji Arifin Harun (1992-1993)
- Haji Taib Azamudden Md. Taib (1993-1999)
- Haji A. Jalil ibn Sindring (1999-Sep. 2001)
- Haji Wan Halim ibn Wan Harun (2001-2004)
- Dato' Haji Kamaruddin ibn Hj Zakaria (2005-2006)
- Tan Sri Dato' Syaikh Hj.Ismail ibn Hj.Muhammad (February 2007-current.)
See also
- Timeline of Islamic history
- Islamic architecture
- Islamic art
- List of mosques
- Islam in Malaysia
References
External links
Media related to National Mosque of Malaysia at Wikimedia Commons- Masjid Negara Homepage
- KL Heritage Trail: Masjid Negara KL Heritage Trail: Masjid Negara @ National Mosque
Categories:- Mosques in Malaysia
- Religious buildings completed in 1965
- Mosques in Kuala Lumpur
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