Masjid Wak Tanjong
 |
| Masjid Wak Tanjong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | 25 Paya Lebar Rd, Singapore 409004 |
| Country | Singapore |
.svg)  Location in Singapore | |
| Geographic coordinates | 1°19′04″N 103°53′31″E / 1.3176491°N 103.8918937°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Indo-Saracenic |
| Founder | Wak Tanjong |
| Funded by | Wak Tanjong (original structure, 1873) Mohammed Ally Tanjong (1930s reconstruction) |
| General contractor | Akitek Yeokhoo (1996–1998 reconstruction) |
| Date established | 1873 |
| Completed | 1930s (original building) 1998 (current building) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Dome(s) | 2 |
Masjid Wak Tanjong is a mosque located in Geylang East, Singapore. It is named for Wak Tanjong, a Bugis merchant who established the mosque in 1873. The mosque is situated directly next to the Paya Lebar MRT station of the East–West MRT line.
History
[edit]The site where the mosque stands on in the present day was originally a small wooden surau, founded in 1873 by Wak Tanjong, a Bugis trader who emigrated to Singapore from Malacca.[1][2] He was buried behind the mosque along with some members of his family in a simple mausoleum building.[1] The wooden mosque was subsequently demolished and replaced with a larger, firm concrete structure in the 1930s by Mohammed Ally Tanjong, an Indian Muslim trader who was also the son of the founder.[1][3][4] Plans were made to expand the mosque in 1990, and reconstruction works would start in April of 1996.[3][5] The mosque was eventually rebuilt into its current form and then reopened by 1998.[6]
In the early 2000s, the mausoleum of Wak Tanjong and his family behind the mosque was demolished and their exhumed remains were reinterred at the Pusara Abadi Muslim Cemetery.[7] The mosque was also affected by severe flooding in January 2018, but the main prayer hall of the mosque was not affected by the flooding, only the courtyard.[8] A commemorative plaque to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Masjid Wak Tanjong since its founding in 1873 was unveiled on December 2024, with the mosque also starting a campaign known as Legaci Kesyukuran (A Grateful Legacy) which included helping out the needy in Singapore.[2]
Architecture
[edit]
Formerly a simple wooden surau, the present day mosque is a two-storey concrete building, designed by Singaporean architectural firm, Akitek Yeokhoo.[3] The mosque is built in a mixture of styles that combine Indo-Saracenic architecture and traditional Malay architecture.[4] A golden, glided onion dome tops the entrance to the female prayer hall.
Accessibility
[edit]Masjid Wak Tanjong is located right next to the Paya Lebar MRT station within Geylang East.[3][9] Opposite the mosque, two streets across, is the Paya Lebar Quarter, a shopping mall which also contains a musalla in the mall's basement carpark.[9][10] Due to its location along Paya Lebar Road next to the MRT station, the mosque is not part of the actual Paya Lebar planning area, but rather, it is a part of the Geylang planning area instead.[11][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Salleh, Saini (2 May 1996). "Wak Tanjong was a Malay businessman". Berita Harian. p. 2.
- ^ a b Irwan, Hakim (14 December 2024). "Masjid Wak Tanjong launches "Legaci Kesyukuran" campaign in conjunction with its 150th anniversary". BERITA Mediacorp. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Salleh, Saini (19 March 1993). "Masjid Wak Tanjong to be completely rebuilt". Berita Harian. p. 28.
- ^ a b "Wakaf heritage trail 2021". MuslimSG. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Salleh, Saini (23 February 1996). "Masjid Wak Tanjong to start rebuilding in April". Berita Harian. p. 2.
- ^ "Wak Tanjong's grave has remained preserved". Berita Harian. 7 August 1998. p. 9.
- ^ Gibson, William L. (2022). A complete catalogue of keramat in Singapore (Digitised ed.). Singapore National Library Board.
- ^ "Discourse; Why wasn't the prayer hall of Masjid Wak Tanjong flooded?". Berita Harian (in Malay). 14 January 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Masjid Wak Tanjong (Mosque) - 25 Paya Lebar Road (S)409004". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Paya Lebar Quarter Mall Musollah (PLQ Mall)". MUSOLLAHS / SURAUS IN SINGAPORE. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Paya Lebar MRT Station". Land Transport Guru. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "History: About Geylang". Urban Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
