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Al Abrar Mosque

Al Abrar Mosque is located at 129 Telok Ayer Street, in the "Downtown Core" of Singapore's Central Region. Established in 1827, it was a mosque for the Chulias, Tamil Muslims from South India, so it is also known as Masjid Chulia. The present building was built between 1850-1855. It was declared a National Monument on 19 November 1974. 

History
The Chulias, Tamil Muslims from south India's Coromandel Coast, were among Singapore's earliest immigrants from 1822. They lived and worked around the area. This mosque was established in 1827, and one can assume that the original mosque was a thatched hut as can be inferred by its other known name, "Kuchu Palli". The existing brick building was erected in 1850-1855. The building is on a 999 years land-lease held originally by Hadjee Puckery Mohamed Khatib bin Shaik Mydin, a trustee for the Tamil Muslim community. A Court Order issued 21 November 1910, saw trustees appointed to look after this Mosque. The trustees were K. Mohamed Eusope, E. Tambyappa Ravooter, S. Kanisah Maricayer, V. M. Kader Bux and J. Sultan Abdul Kader; who were also trustees for the nearby Nagore Durgha Shrine at Telok Ayer Street and Jamae Mosque at South Bridge Road.

Description
On a land area of 448.7 sq m stands the building of simple architectural design. At each corner two large minarets topped with an onion-shaped dome rise from octagonal columns, and in between, two miniature minarets with domes rise from circular columns. Islamic in character, the dome effect is echoed along the facade with its latticed, vent-style balustrade. It was gazetted a National Monument on 19 November, 1974. Today the Al Abrar Mosque is in the care of the Majilis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS).

Variant Names
Malay name: Masjid Al Abrar. Also Masjid Chulia or the "Chulia Mosque".
Tamil name: Kuchu Palli where kuchu means "hut", and palli means "mosque" or transliterated as "small mosque" 



Author
Vernon Cornelius-Takahama


References 
Beamish, J. (1985). A history of Singapore architecture: The making of a city (p. 58). Singapore: G. Brash.
(Call no.: SING 722.4095957 BEA)

Doggett, M. (1957). Characters of light: A guide to the buildings of Singapore (p. 41). Singapore: Donald Moore.
(Call no.: RSING 722.4095957 DOG)

Edwards, N. (1996). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places (pp. 405, 439, 486).
Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: SING 915.957 EDW)

Hooi, C. (1982). National monuments of Singapore (pp. 12-13, 20). Singapore: National Museum.
(Call no.: SING 722.4095957 NAT) 

Liu, G. (1996). In granite and chunam: The national monuments of Singapore (pp. 83, 89, 98-99). Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: SING 725.94095957 LIU)

Samuel, D. S. (1991). Singapore's heritage: Through places of historical interest (p. 31). Singapore: Elixir Consultancy Service.
(Call no.: SING 959.57 SAM)

Singapore Survey Department. (1972). Singapore street directory and sectional maps (p. 28). Singapore: Survey Dept. 
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SIN)

Tyers, R. K. (1993). Ray Tyers' Singapore: Then & now (p.186). Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: SING 959.57 TYE)


Further Readings
Lee, G. B. (2002). The religious monuments of Singapore: Faiths of our forefathers (pp. 88-89). Singapore: Landmark Books and Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: SING 726.095957 LEE)

Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority. (1991). Al-Abrar Mosque preservation guidelines (Vol 1-2). Singapore: Preservation of Monuments Board.
(Call no.: R SING 363.69095957 ALA)

Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority. (1995). Chinatown: Historic district (pp. 23, 30). Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority.
(Call no.: RSING 363.69095957 CHI)





Subject
Architecture and Landscape>>Building Types>>Religious Buildings
Mosques--Singapore
Historic buildings--Singapore
Monuments--Singapore
Arts>>Architecture>>Religious buildings

Librarian Recommendations
>> Telok Ayer Street
>> Nagore Durgha Shrine
>> Jamae Mosque


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