Clock-tower minarets
Victorian English style with an Islamic spirit.
Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Happycow85 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Graystravels — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0
The official mosque of the state of Johor, and one of the most beautiful and unusual historic mosques in Malaysia. It was built between 1892 and 1900 on the orders of Sultan Abu Bakar, on a prominent hill overlooking the Straits of Johor with Singapore on the far side, and holds about two thousand worshippers. What catches the eye is its architecture: its designer, Haji Mohamed Arif bin Punak, set out to draw on the English Victorian style the sultans of Johor admired at the time, so its minarets take the form of nineteenth-century British clock towers, with touches of Moorish style and a little Malay character. The result is an elegant white mosque unlike any other in the region. Entry is free; non-Muslims visit outside prayer times in modest dress covering arms and legs, with a headscarf for women, and Muslims pray here at prayer times. Its forecourt gives a lovely view over the strait. It stands next to Johor Zoo, about a kilometre from the city centre, so the two fit into one morning. The best photograph is from the coastal road below the hill, where the whole mosque rises above the greenery.
Victorian English style with an Islamic spirit.
Built on the orders of Sultan Abu Bakar.
Singapore on the opposite shore.
Jalan Skudai, on a hill overlooking the Straits of Johor
Because Johor's sultans of the late nineteenth century admired English architecture, so the minarets took the shape of Victorian clock towers. That blend is what makes it unique among Malaysia's mosques.
