On the river
It seems to float.
Jjurieee — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rulwarih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rulwarih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rulwarih — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rulwarih — CC BY-SA 4.0
An elegant white mosque on the bank of the Sarawak River at the western end of Kuching's waterfront, known as the floating mosque because it stands on piles over the water's edge and seems to float on the river. It opened in March 2019 and holds about sixteen hundred worshippers. It continues a long history: Indian Muslim traders built their first mosque in Kuching in the nineteenth century, in the trading quarter between India Street and Gambir Street, on land bought in the time of Rajah Charles Brooke. The old mosque, known as Masjid Tambi, still stands down a narrow lane among fabric and spice shops. The new mosque is crowned by a blue-green dome and a slender minaret, and inside is a bright, spacious prayer hall under a decorated dome and a great chandelier, with water-coloured carpets and windows looking out over the river. It welcomes visitors outside prayer times in modest dress, and entry is free. It looks best from the waterfront at sunset, after which you can walk to nearby India Street to see the old mosque.
It seems to float.
The old mosque nearby.
Dome and minaret on the water.
The western end of the waterfront on the Sarawak River, central Kuching
Old Court HouseAn elegant white complex from the era of Sarawak's White Rajahs, built by Charle3 minutes walk
Square TowerA small white building shaped like a fort, with crenellated parapets and a hexag3 minutes walk
Kuching Waterfront and Darul Hana BridgeThe waterfront is the heart of Kuching and its loveliest part: a promenade of ab3 minutes walk
Textile Museum SarawakA small, elegant museum in the Pavilion Building, a three-storey colonial buildi4 minutes walk
The AstanaAn elegant white palace on the north bank of the Sarawak River, facing the Kuchi5 minutes walkIt still stands in a lane between India Street and Gambir Street, a few minutes' walk from the new mosque, among the fabric and spice shops.