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"The Acheh Street Mosque (Masjid Melayu) is a historical landmark built in the early 1800's in the Muslim settlement area in Georgetown, Pulau Pinang."
Introduction
This well-known mosque, also called Masjid Melayu (Malay Mosque), is located on the southern end of George Town, on Lebuh Acheh. A witness to a once glorious past, the Acheh Street Mosque is aesthetically pleasing. Its structure reflects a strong Moorish (northern Indian) architecture, combined with Chinese and classical elements visible in the entrance arch, the small domes on the parapet, classical columns, plaster renderings upon the walls and mehrab. And Egyptian style minarets.
Next to the mosque lay the cemetery of the mosque's original benefactor, Tengku Syed Hussain Al-Aidid and members of his family. The houses surrounding the mosque today is part of the original Muslim settlement of the mid 19th century.
Another interesting mosque in Georgetown area that are open to visitors is the the Kapitan Keling Mosque.
History
The Acheh Street Mosque was built in 1808 on land donated by an Achenese aristocrat, Tengku Syed Hussain Al-Aidid. It all began in 1792 when Tengku Syed Hussain opened a Muslim settlement in the area near Lebuh Acheh. Over the following years, this settlement became the centre of Islamic studies in Pulau Pinang, frequented by traders from the surrounding Malay archipelago, Arab and India.
The mosque was built alongside houses, shops and a Madrasah for Quranic Studies. One of the religious figures of the time was Sheikh Omar Basheer Al-Khalilee, who was succeeded by his son Sheikh Zakaria who later was appointed as the first Mufti of Pulau Pinang and in 1888, Sheikh Yahya, his older brother, was appointed as the first Kadi of Pulau Pinang.
Following the demise of Tengku Hussain in mid 1800's, the Lebuh Acheh Muslim settlement continued to thrive and was at one time referred to as the Second Jeddah, as pilgrims from nearby congregate here before departing to Mecca by sea. Every time the Haj season begins, the Lebuh Acheh area is thronged by pilgrims and their families. However, all this ended with the establishment of the Lembaga Tabung Haji in the 1970s.
People
Although Malay Muslims make up roughly 60% of Malaysia's population, a smaller percent lives in Penang as most of this island's inhabitants are Chinese (roughly 90%). The Malay Muslims in Penang originally hailed from Acheh, Arabia, Java, India as well as Peninsular Malaya, and their diverse cultural backgrounds gave birth to the existence of many different styles of mosque that can be found in Penang today.
For more information, please contact:
Penang Tourism Action Council
56th Floor, KOMTAR
10000 Penang
Tel : +604-262 0202
Fax : +604-263 1020
Email : enquiry@tourismpenang.gov.my
Last viewed - May 17, 2008
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