Masjid Jamek Benggali, Penang - 1803

“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late...” - Benjamin Franklin

(Masjid Jamek Benggali, Penang)

GPS: 5.42021, 100.33356
05°25′12.76″N 100°20′00.82″E

Masjid Jamek Benggali is located along Lebuh Leith is approximately 219 years old. The mosque was built in the year 1803, but some say it was built later. The mosque was built for the Benggali community that migrated to Penang towards the end of the 19th Century, and formed a settlement that extended from Leith Street all the way to Argyll Road. This mosque was known as the Benggali Mosque in conjunction with the majority of Benggalis who inhabited the area.

(The mosque along a busy street)

(A mosque built for the Benggali community)

When George Leith was the Lieutenant Governor of Penang, the British East India Company granted a request of the Sepoys for a piece of land to build a place of prayer. A small wooden mosque was built for the Muslims and used to deliver da'wah. It is also the center of the Bengali Islamic Council, an association of Bengalis Muslim. The mosque has undergone several renovations. The architecture of the mosque is a charming fusion of Muslim and International styles.

(The interior of the mosque)

(The front and the back of the prayer hall)

(Spacious corridors)

In 1990 a Madrasah Tahfiz was constructed behind the Masjid Benggali. However, in 1994, this madrasah was moved to Balik Pulau.

Note: Bengalis from Bengal started migrating to Penang in the late 18th century. The term 'Bengali' refers to immigrants from Bengal but also refers to other immigrants who also come from North India. The Bengali people from Bengal were mostly Muslims.

(The minaret and tabung masjid)