A touch of Istanbul
Ottoman-Malay design inspired by the Blue Mosque.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0
One of Kuala Lumpur's most beautiful and newest mosques, built between 1998 and 2000 on a five-hectare site near the Government Office Complex, holding seventeen thousand worshippers. Its architecture blends Ottoman and Malay styles, drawing heavily on the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, so Arab visitors find it familiar at first sight. It is crowned by twenty-two domes made of a light, durable composite, ringed by slender minarets, gardens and pools, and inside is a vast, bright prayer hall with fine ornament. It looks its best in the morning, when light falls on the domes, or at night when it is lit. Entry is free. Non-Muslims visit daily from ten to three, and on Fridays from ten to half past eleven and again from three to half past four, entering by the visitors' gate where robes are lent, accompanied by volunteers on a free tour of about an hour. It lies a little outside the centre, so a taxi or ride-hailing car is easiest. For Muslims, praying here is a lovely experience, especially the Friday prayer, and it is quieter than the National Mosque, which is busy with tourists.
Ottoman-Malay design inspired by the Blue Mosque.
Light domes of a durable composite.
One of the capital's largest mosques.
Jalan Duta, near the Government Office Complex, north-west of central Kuala Lumpur
The National Mosque is closer to the centre, older and better known to tourists; the Federal Territory Mosque is more beautiful and calmer, its Ottoman style close to Arab visitors' tastes. With time, visit both.
