Masjid Wak Tanjong

Masjid Wak Tanjong
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Location
Location25 Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 409004
CountrySingapore
Masjid Wak Tanjong is located in Singapore
Masjid Wak Tanjong
Location in Singapore
Coordinates1°19′04″N 103°53′31″E / 1.3176538°N 103.8919467°E / 1.3176538; 103.8919467
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleEclectic
Established17 March 1873
Completed1873 (original structure)
1998 (current building)

Masjid Wak Tanjong is a mosque located along Paya Lebar Road in the eastern part of Geylang, Singapore. Built in 1873, it is named after its founder Wak Tanjong. It has been rebuilt three times in 1913, 1932 and finally in 1998. The mosque is situated next to the Paya Lebar MRT station and is accessible from there.

History

Originally, a simple wooden surau was built on 17 March 1873 on land which was a waqf endowment by Wak Tanjong, a philanthropist from Malacca.[1] The surau was later demolished and a mosque made from bricks and concrete was built in its place in 1913.[1] The mosque was rebuilt again as a larger structure in 1932 by Mohammed Ally Tanjong, an Indian Muslim merchant and the son of the original founder.[2] A private cemetery was also established behind the mosque which served as the burial place of Wak Tanjong, his wife, and close relatives.[1][3][4] Burials in this cemetery ceased by 1973, along with all Muslim cemeteries nationwide with the exclusion of those within the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery.[5]

In 1993, it was announced that the mosque would be completely rebuilt to accomodate more worshippers.[6] More plans for the mosque were revealed in 1995, as well as a sketch of what the proposed mosque would be like.[7] A finalized scale model of the mosque was also unveiled in 1996.[2] The mosque was then closed in April 1996 as the reconstruction works had started.[3][8][9] It was completed in 1998 with the official reopening ceremony in August of that year.[3][9]

In 2002, the private cemetery at the back of the mosque was exhumed and reinterred at the Pusara Abadi cemetery.[10][11] In 2014, the mosque was considered eligible to be preserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).[12] Like all the other mosques nationwide, it was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and was closed down.[13] After the pandemic, it reopened and resumed its usual services.[14] The mosque celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2024, launching several welfare programs to celebrate the event such as distributions of food to needy families.[15]

Architecture

Masjid Wak Tanjong is built in a fusion of Malay and Indo-Saracenic architecture, with modern design elements added into the mix.[7] The domed pavilion at the second entrance for female worshippers is preserved from the original 1930s structure and was untouched during the 1998 reconstruction.[2][7] A metal plaque commemorating the history of the mosque was installed at the entrance in 2024.[15]

Transportation

Masjid Wak Tanjong is located directly next to the Paya Lebar MRT station on the East–West line.[16] The nearest bus stop to the mosque is at Paya Lebar Station Exit D which connects the mosque to the Bedok, Punggol, Sengkang, Serangoon and Marine Parade neighborhoods.[17] Next to the mosque is the old Paya Lebar Office Centre, formerly a fire station which also contained a musalla before its closure.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Namanya terus kekal harum di tengah-tengah masyarakat bandar" [His name continues to be prominent in the midst of urban society.]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 12 June 1983. p. 3.
  2. ^ a b c Saini (23 February 1996). "Masjid Wak Tanjong dibina semula April" [Masjid Wak Tanjong to be rebuilt completely in April]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 2.
  3. ^ a b c "Solat di Masjid Wak Tanjong baru" [Prayers at the new Masjid Wak Tanjong]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 27 March 1998. p. 14.
  4. ^ "Kubur Wak Tanjong kekal terpelihara" [Wak Tanjong's grave remains preserved]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 7 August 1998. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Penutupan 7 tanah kuburan". Berita Harian. 1 September 1973. p. 5.
  6. ^ Salleh, Saini (19 March 1993). "Masjid Wak Tanjong dibangun semula" [Masjid Wak Tanjong to be completely rebuilt]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 28.
  7. ^ a b c Mazlan, Mazlena (7 January 1995). "Wajah baru Masjid Wak Tanjong menjelang abad 21" [The new face of Wak Tanjong Mosque for the 21st century]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 16.
  8. ^ "Masjid Wak Tanjong ditutup sementara" [Masjid Wak Tanjong is temporarily closed]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 16 April 1996. p. 3.
  9. ^ a b Rahman, N.A. (7 August 1998). "Masjid Kita" [Our Mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 9.
  10. ^ "Pemindahan kubur perlengkap sejarah" [Relocation of graves completes history]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 6 October 2002. p. 2.
  11. ^ Gibson, William (2022). "A complete catalog of keramat in Singapore". Lee Kong Chian Research Fellowship Submission (Digitised ed.) – via National Library Board.
  12. ^ "2014年 新加坡发展总蓝图 受保留建筑 再添75座" [In 2014, Singapore's Master Development Plan added 75 more buildings to its list of buildings to be preserved.]. Xin Ming Ri Bao (in Chinese). 7 June 2014. p. 6.
  13. ^ "All mosques here to remain closed until March 26". The Straits Times. 17 March 2020. p. 18.
  14. ^ "Program sosial Masjid Wak Tanjong bantu perkasa masyarakat" [Social programs at Masjid Wak Tanjong helps empower the community]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  15. ^ a b Irwan, Hakim. "Masjid Wak Tanjong lancar kempen 'Legasi Kesyukuran' sempena ulang tahun ke-150" [Masjid Wak Tanjong launches 'Legacy Thanksgiving' campaign in conjunction with its 150th anniversary]. BERITA Mediacorp. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Tapak untuk stesen MRT di Paya Lebar" [Site for MRT station in Paya Lebar]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 30 January 1983. p. 2.
  17. ^ "Masjid Wak Tanjong (Mosque) - 25 Paya Lebar Road (S)409004". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Paya Lebar Office Centre". Roots. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_Wak_Tanjong