Masjid Omar Salmah

Masjid Omar Salmah
مسجد عمر سلمة
Masjid Omar Salmah is located in Singapore
Masjid Omar Salmah
Location in Singapore
Religion
AffiliationSunni Islam
Location
Location411B Jalan Mashhor, Singapore 299173
CountrySingapore
Coordinates1°20′05″N 103°49′55″E / 1.3346286°N 103.8319658°E / 1.3346286; 103.8319658
Architecture
TypeMosque
StyleIslamic architecture
FounderSyed Ibrahim bin Omar Alsagoff
Completed1973

Masjid Omar Salmah (Jawi: مسجد عمر سلمة) is a mosque located along Jalan Mashhor in the Caldecott area off Thomson Road in of Novena, Singapore. Built in 1973, it is situated in a rural, forested area and has gained the reputation of being one of the few village-styled mosques in the country. It is adjacent to the Caldecott MRT station.

History

The first mosque along Jalan Mashhor was established in 1970 and completed in October 1973, holding the first Friday prayer during its opening ceremony which was led by Ya'acob bin Mohamed.[1][2] It was built by Syed Ibrahim Alsagoff, a merchant from the Alsagoff family and a diplomat from Saudi Arabia, who also named the mosque after his parents, Syed Omar Alsagoff and Salmah.[2] In 1975, the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) authorized the mosque as an official place for the collection of the Zakat al-Fitr tax.[3] The mosque was originally administered by the Persatuan Bawean Singapura (PBS), a local Muslim social group, but was later handed over to the MUIS in 1984 after reports that the PBS neglected the maintenance of the mosque and left it in a dilapidated condition.[4][5] Along with Masjid Ahmad Ibrahim and Masjid Al-Firdaus, Masjid Omar Salmah was also given a Temporary Occupation License which required yearly rental payments to retain the mosque.[6][7][8]

The main prayer hall of the mosque, with the mihrab visible.

By the early 2000s, Masjid Omar Salmah had gained notability amongst the public as one of the few remaining mosques that held the vibe of a typical Malay village.[9][10] In 2011, the National Equestrian Centre was built next to the mosque.[11][12] During the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic, the mosque was shut down as part of a nationwide mosque closure, but later reopened after the circuit breaker period had ended.[13]

The mosque is an unofficial heritage site amongst Muslim residents in the Toa Payoh and Novena areas, especially former residents of Kampong Jantai, a village that was cleared in the 1990s for urbanization along Mount Pleasant Road.[5][8][10]

Architecture

Masjid Omar Salmah resembles a traditional surau, with a zinc roof and a carpeted main prayer hall.[14] The mosque is situated atop a concrete platform which is fenced from all sides, with openings that serve as entrances. Wooden furnishings of the mosque, including the minbar, are crafted by hand.[14]

Transportation

The mosque is accessible from the Caldecott MRT station, located along the Circle Line and Thomson–East Coast MRT Line.[15][16] It is also situated along Jalan Mashhor, in a forested area of Caldecott off Thomson Road, all within the Novena planning area.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mesjid Omar Salmah: Khutbah pertama esok" [Omar Salmah Mosque: First khutbah tomorrow]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 4 October 1973. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Mesjid bukan hak mutlak pak-pak haji saja" [The mosque is not the absolute right of only the Hajj pilgrims]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 2 June 1974. p. 2. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "Bayaran fitrah mula dipungut hari ini" [Fıtrah payment begins to be collected today]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 16 September 1975. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Jawatankuasa Masjid Omar dipilih ikut peraturan biasa" [Committee of the Omar Mosque is chosen using regular orders]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 8 April 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Mahmud terus berbakti demi masyarakat" [Want to continue serving for the sake of the community]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 11 December 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Sekilas Masjid Omar Salmah" [A glimpse at the Omar Salmah Mosque]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 22 June 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Romero, A.M. (25 February 2026). "WP MPs to raise questions about Singapore's Muslim institutions - Singapore News". Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 Fawzi, Fadli (24 February 2026). "Studies on Kampung Mosques". Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Salims, Soraya (22 June 2007). "Suasana kampung tawarkan ketenangan" [The village atmosphere offers tranquility]. Berita Harian (in Malay). p. 6. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Terus berbakti walau tidak diketahui ramai" [Continues to be devoted even though not many people know about it]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 21 April 2012. p. 4. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Equestrian gets a new stable". TODAY Newspaper. 1 April 2011. p. 44. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Singapore's first National Equestrian Park opens". The Business Times. 1 April 2011. p. 10. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "All mosques here to remain closed until March 26". The Straits Times. 17 March 2020. p. 18.
  14. 1 2 Azaleah, Nur. "Faith unforgotten". National Library Board. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Lagi 13 stesen bagi MRT Laluan Circle" [13 more stations for MRT Circle Line]. Berita Harian (in Malay). 13 December 2003. p. 1. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "The Complete Picture". The New Paper. 13 December 2003. p. 30. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Masjid Omar Salmah (Mosque) - 411 Jalan Mashhor (S)299173". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
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