Masjid Kampung Keling, Melaka – 1748

"Positive criticism is a good friend. Insincere flattery is a fake friend..." - Dr TP Chin

(Masjid Kampung Keling, Melaka)

Masjid Kampung Keling Mosque is located in the Melaka Tengah district. The is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. Built in 1748, this mosque is located on Jalan Hang Lekiu, at the intersection of Jalan Tanjong. This area is filled with Chinese business shops. At the time this mosque was built, the area around this mosque was inhabited by people from the southern part of India, and these people were called ‘Keling’ from the word Kalinga.

(Murals on the wall along Jalan Hang Lekiu)

(A brief description of the historical mosque)

(The stone pagoda minaret)

The double style in mosque design symbolizes the rapid development of architectural knowledge in Melaka at that time, with the arrival of architectural influences brought by the Dutch from Europe.

Masjid Kampung Keling was built using a square base, and not on a rectangular or hexagonal base as practiced in Middle Eastern countries. The veranda area is decorated with Corinthian columns and surround the prayer hall area. Corinthian columns also mark the separation between the mimbar space and the prayer hall.

(Three-layered roof and the stone minaret)

(The main entrance from the road)

A three-layer roof is used in the architecture of the Kampung Keling Mosque, just like the roof in the Kampung Hulu Mosque. This three-layer roof characterizes mosques in Melaka. The roof is supported by 4 main pillars in the middle of the mosque. These 4 columns are complemented by 8 smaller columns which are used to support the structure of the second layer and the third layer of the triple-layered roof.

The mosque tower is built of stone, and has the shape of a pagoda, also a characteristic of mosques in Melaka. Another influence was used because before the construction of Kampung Hulu Mosque and Kampung Keling Mosque, mosques built by the Malays did not use minarets. In 1868, the mosque and minaret were protected by a high wall as a safety separation from the road.

(Original pillars and columns of the mosque)

Ceramic tiles imported from China decorate the roof, floor and walls of this mosque. The decorative motifs that decorate the doors, windows and also the decoration on the edge of the roof are also influenced by Chinese decoration. The influence of European architecture is included in the construction of this mosque, especially with the plaster used for the interior walls of this mosque.