Masjid Negara - the National Mosque of Malaysia

Malaysia's National Mosque was designed and built in the 1960s, and it definitely looks like it! The mosque is designed in a modern futuristic style which looks awesomely retro nowadays.

the National Mosque

When the Federation of Malaya (which included Western Malaysia and Singapore but not Borneo) gained independence from the British Empire in 1957, the government of the newly-unified federation of sultanates and states worked hard to create a unifying culture for the nation. Even after Malaya was disolved in 1963, after which Singapore became independence and parts of Borneo joined the federation, the new Malaysia continued this task. Part of building a unifying cuture was the construction of the Masjid Negara, the National Mosque of Malaysia.

Masjid Negara

Like at other mosques in Malaysia, visitors are welcome to enter the National Mosque during certain hours. I ended up waiting for much of the afternoon in the bright Malaysian sun so that I could get the chance to go inside the country's most important holy site.

the mosque's minaret

While the mosque may not be quite as impressive as the Pink Mosque, it's still a sight to see. The prayer hall is built in a blue-tiled 16-pointed star, and the minaret rises high above a cool fountain. Some areas were restricted to praying Muslims, but for the most part, visitors were allowed to explore the building.

the prayer hall

The mosque is large enough to hold 15,000 worshipers, and it fills up during Friday prayers, when it is attended by Malaysian government ministers and lawmakers.

visiting the National Mosque

Behind the mosque is the National Hero's Mausoleum. Here, some of Malaysia's most important national heroes, such as former prime ministers, are interred in a place of surpeme honor at the nation's National Mosque.

the final resting place for Malaysia's most important figures

The prayer hall was undergoing renovations when I visited, although we were still able to poke our heads in and snap photos. The stained glass windows above the prayer hall look really beautiful. It will look great once the renovations are finished.

inside the prayer hall