| With the majority of its population being Muslims, the mosque is a common building found in most urban and rural areas in the country. The varying architectural styles of the mosques displayed particular design characteristics which are reflective of many factors including ethnic culture, colonialism, technology utilisation and the political environment. General Rules while at the Mosque: - All tourist are required to enter from the front entrance or the main entrance (not at the back or side door) for safety of their belongings.
- Tourists / Tourist guides must report to the Security Officer/Information Officer prior to entering the mosque. Tourists are NOT allowed to enter the mosque without permission from the officers mentioned above.
- All tourists / tourist guide must be properly dressed ie. no short pants for male.
- For the female, they are required to wear robes and head scarf.
- All shoes must be removed and left on the stair case in front of a security guard.
- Tourists are required to be silence at the mosque.
NATIONAL MOSQUE (Masjid Negara) , KUALA LUMPUR
Built in 1965, the national mosque is Malaysia's principal mosque and one of the most prominent buildings in the city. The MYR10 million structure stands diagonally opposite the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station in a five hectare landscaped garden. Reputed as one of the more beautiful mosques in South-east Asia, its modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and ornamentation. The bright blue, jagged rooftop symbolises loyalty.Complementing it is the umbrella-shaped dome, with 18 points representing the 13 states of Malaysia and the five pillars of Islam. Visitors are welcome but must be respectably dressed. PENANG STATE MOSQUE Built on 4.5ha of land, the mosque accommodates 5,000 worshippers at one sitting. It took a painstaking four years to complete and was finally ready in 1980. A photographer's dream, the mosque grounds provide a potential award-winning picture, more so at night when the floodlights are on. Due to its location in one of the busiest thoroughfare, entry into the mosque can be done via jalan Air Hitam. A Filipino architect specially designed the golden onion-shaped domes. Permission must be obtained from mosque officials before entry. SABAH STATE MOSQUE Kota Kinabalu (Capital City) One of the most outstanding pieces of architecture in Sabah is none other than the State Mosque. With its majestic dome and stunning gold inlay motifs, the mosque sits a stone's throw away from the city centre. It is a unique combination of prevailing Islamic architecture and contemporary design. The mosque can accommodate up to 5,000 worshippers at one time. There is also a special balcony exclusively allocated for Muslim women during prayer time, with room for up to 500. Visitors are advised to adhere by the dress code when visiting places of worship. Avoid visiting on Fridays which is the day of prayer for Muslims. SULTAN SALAHUDDIN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH MOSQUE, SELANGOR The Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah mosque is often referred to as 'The Blue Mosque' whereby its computer-designed dome is surrounded by four minarets which are the tallest in the world at 142.3 meters. Its graceful blue dome is also one of the largest of its kinds. Decorative Islamic calligraphy enhances the dome and main prayer-hall while the overall architecture integrates ethnic Malay design elements. This famous tourist attraction is nestled amidst an attractive landscape of gardens, lakes and trees and its sheer size will definitely attract tourists' attention. This Selangor state mosque is also one of the most famous mosques in Malaysia. AL-AZIM MOSQUE, MELAKA Masjid Al-Azim is Melaka’s state mosque, which was built in 1984. At the cost of RM 19.5 million, DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Dipertuan Agong Sultan Azlan Shah, the King of Malaysia, officiated the mosque in 1990. Till now, the mosque serves as the important focal point of the city. Chinese influence, as well as the local Malaccan Malay architecture, is quite evident in the interior of the mosque. ZAHIR MOSQUE, PERAK Officially opened in 1912, this mosque is an architectural landmark. With black domes set off against slender minarets, the Masjid Zahir is one of the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing mosques in Malaysia. The state's Quran reading competition is held annually within the premises of the mosque. NEGERI SEMBILAN STATE MOSQUE The State Mosque, one of the most striking mosque in Malaysia, is built with nine pillars to symbolize the seven districts. One can get a picturesque view of the Seremban Lake from the mosque. KAMPONG KLING MOSQUE, MELAKA The Masjid Kampong Kling, built in 1748, is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. The mosque is located on Malacca’s busy north-south running Jalan Hang Lekiu, on the corner of Jalan Tanjong, or Temple Street, both filled with Chinese shop-houses. However, when Masjid Kampong Kling was erected, the neighborhood of Kampong Kling, which runs along the coast to the west of the Malacca River, was still primarily inhabited by South Indians or Klings. The multiple styles revealed in this mosque attest to the synchratic building tradition that flourished in Malacca, a major trading port in the fourteenth through the eighteenth centuries. Like most Southeast Asian mosques, Masjid Kampong Kling is built on a square plan rather than the rectangular or hexagonal plan of most Middle Eastern mosques. Corinthian columns both define the arcaded verandah that wraps around the prayer hall and also separate the minbar space from the central prayer hall within the mosque. Supported by timber post-and-beam construction, Kampong Kling’s triple-tiered hipped roof is particularly indicative of a Malaccan mosque. The mosque’s flared pyramidal upper roof is raised by four columns placed in the center of the mosque. These four great central columns are mimicked by two further quartets of columns placed further apart to support each of the two lower and wider roofs. The concentric squareness of this plan is only disrupted by the extension of the steps to the porch area, or iwan, from which access to the mosque is raised on a low perimeter wall. This upper roof is suspended over a second, middle roof, with a gap left between them to allow for ventilation and subdued natural lighting, particularly suitable for the humid and rainy climate. Each of these two roofs is covered with tiles. The lowest roof has a much more shallow pitch, practically horizontal and is covered by red clay shingles. A courtyard behind the mosque contains a fountain-like pool for ablutions that is raised a few steps above ground level and circumambulated by a similarly raised and covered walkway. The commanding minaret was built entirely of masonry in contrast to the accompanying timber mosque. Likened to a Chinese pagoda or stupa form, this type of minaret has become characteristic of Malacca. Renaissance embellishments include the use of engaged columns as well as the arched windows and piping that traces them. Minarets are not traditional to Malay Islamic architecture, though they have become increasingly more prevalent and are useful in demarcating the mosque in dense urban areas. In 1868 the mosque and its minaret were enclosed by a high wall to protect it from the street. Chinese ceramic tiles were imported to adorn the roof, the floor and the lower walls of the mosque. Furthermore, decorative motifs such as those applied to the doors and windows and ornamentation such as the curved eaves terminating in sculptural finials on the roof are attributed to an Oriental influence, as is the rooftop ornament, or mastaka. Built during the Dutch occupation that followed the period of Portuguese rule, European touches reveal themselves in the mosque in such elements as rendered plaster on the internal masonry walls. CRYSTAL MOSQUE, TERENGGANU
The Crystal Mosque of Terengganu is the icon of Taman Tamadun Islam and the Kuala Terengganu City – The Waterfront Heritage City. It is considered unique as it is the first and only mosque built from steel and glass, hence the crystal-like image. | 
