Abdul Gafoor Mosque

Abdul Gafoor Mosque was built by 1910, replacing an earlier wooden building, and it mixes Moorish, Indian and European elements in a way particular to Singapore of that period. Over the main entrance is its most notable feature: a sunburst with twenty-five rays, each bearing the name of a prophet in Arabic calligraphy, arranged as a sundial. A three-year reconstruction ended with the mosque reopening in 2003, and the work won the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Architectural Heritage Award that year.

History

A small wooden mosque, Al-Abrar, served Indian Muslim workers and traders and Baweanese horse trainers here in the 1800s, and Shaik Abdul Gaffoor built the present mosque on its site by 1910. It was made a national monument on 5 July 1979, restored for $2.5 million after falling into disrepair in the late 1980s, and renovated again from 20 February 2020 (Wikipedia, Masjid Abdul Gaffoor).

What to look for

• The sunburst sundial - twenty-five rays carrying prophets' names in calligraphy.
• The mixed architecture - Moorish, Indian and European elements together.
• The prayer hall - the interior with its arcades and green detailing.
• The restoration - finished in 2003 and given Singapore's Architectural Heritage Award.

When to go

Year round; visitor hours are outside prayer times and are posted. Friday prayers close it for longer. Ramadan brings evening activity to the surrounding streets.

Practical notes

Visitors are admitted only outside prayers and hours are short. Robes are provided and dress rules are enforced. The mosque is small and takes half an hour.

Nearby

Little India surrounds it, and Tekka Centre is west.

Key facts