National Mosque of Kuala Lumpur- Malaysia

 The National Mosque is not just for the local Muslims to perform their prayers. With the fast-growing tourism industry, more tourists are making a stop at this place of worship to admire its architecture. In fact, the National Mosque has become one of the top tourist attractions that attract a steady stream of tourists daily.

National Mosque of Kuala Lumpur

The National Mosque boasts of architecture influenced by traditional Islamic art from the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Locals and visitors who have not had the chance to set foot in Mecca can have a glimpse of how Mecca looks like by visiting the mosque. Taking three years to construct and was opened to the public on August 27th, 1965, the National Mosque is reputed as one of the most beautiful mosques in South East Asia.

The main dome is adorned with thousands of green and blue tiles, giving a pleasant ‘sky’ of turquoise. The dome has a roof shaped like a partly-opened umbrella, representing the 5 pillars of Islam and the 13 states of Malaysia. The main dome is complemented by 48 smaller green domes. However, the key feature is a tall minaret measuring 73m tall that stands grand and prominently against the skyline, adding a sparkle to the already beautiful view of Kuala Lumpur at night.

The holy place of worship is a place where one’s mind is transformed to be at peace and out of the pressure of society. Situated on 12 hectares among beautiful gardens, the mosque is not just beautiful on the inside but also on the exterior grounds with visitors being fond of walking around the lake gardens admiring the view and enjoying the serenity.

The location of the mosque was chosen by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haiz. The location was selected to enable people to get easy access to the mosque by simply traveling from the iconic Kuala Lumpur railway station located just opposite the mosque along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin. As such, getting there is a breeze. The mosque is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. but the worship hall, which can hold 10,000 at any given time, is not open to non-worshippers.
As with other places of worship, there are a few do’s and don’ts to adhere to. Make sure that you are suitably dressed if you want to go inside. Women must cover their heads but don’t worry if you did not come prepared as you can loan one of the available robes. All visitors are also required to take off their shoes before going in. Since the mosque really is an interesting place that oozes impressive architecture, plus it is really convenient getting there, do make a pit stop especially if you are in the vicinity.

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