National Mosque

About National Mosque

The National Mosque of Malaysia is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among 13 acres (53,000 m2) of gardens. Its key features are a 73-metre-high (240 ft) minaret and a 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 are a creative solution to achieving the larger spans required in the main gathering hall. Reflecting pools and fountains are spread throughout the compound. Completed in 1965, the mosque is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly independent nation.

The National Mosque of Malaysia (Masjid Negara) is one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia and a symbol of the independent Malaysian state, with a capacity of 15,000 worshippers, set among 13 acres (53,000 square metres) of gardens in Kuala Lumpur's green belt beside the Perdana Botanical Gardens, the Islamic Arts Museum, the Bird Park and the old railway station. Completed in 1965 and renovated in 1987, it was designed by a three-man team from the Public Works Department: the Englishman Howard Ashley and the Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim. The mosque is a bold modern work in reinforced concrete that draws on Malay-Islamic rather than the usual Arab-Islamic forms: its main roof is a 16-pointed concrete star resembling an open umbrella, and its 73-metre minaret ends in a cap like a folded one, the umbrella being synonymous with the tropics and part of the royal regalia of the Malay sultans. The folded plates of the concrete roof are a creative solution for spanning the great main hall, and reflecting pools and fountains are spread throughout the compound; the grounds also hold the Heroes' Mausoleum (Makam Pahlawan), where leading statesmen are buried. The mosque welcomes visitors of all faiths outside prayer times and is one of the most visited mosques in Malaysia.

Where:

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia