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_Al-Azim Mosque

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Al-Azim Mosque is the state mosque which follows typical Malaccan mosque architecture in the Java-Malay style of the archipelago. Al-Azim Mosque is a mosque located about three kilometres from the city of Melaka in the district of Central Melaka, Melaka. The mosque can accommodate a congregation of 10,400 people. The upper floor is reserved for 700 women while the ground floor can accommodate a total of 9,700 male pilgrims. The mosque is spacious and comfortable as it is not disturbed by small pillars. Aziz Tapa is one of the backpine who did the architecture of the mosque. The mosque has a lecture hall, auditorium, offices, a café and a museum.

The architectural style of Masjid Al Azim is an outstanding Neo-Vernacular revivalism (Sino-Eclectic revivalism) of the heritage of Melaka’s historical mosques. The term Sino-Vernacular Eclectic indicates that there is Chinese influence in the vernacular architectural style used to express a mosque in the region at that time.

The layout of the floor plan of the main building that houses the prayer hall is of a square shape similar to the original form of the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. As the tiered pyramidal roof form originated from the vernacular traditional mosque, it also bear with its spiritual meaning. The ascending form of the roof that finishes with the crown topped apex is like the persistent supplications and the hopes of the devotee: to be accepted by Allah. The overall majestic form of the mosque was intentionally made to reflect, the spiritual composition of the four main elements of Islam. The first element of Islam is the Syariah Compliance (abiding to Islamic Law that was represented by the lowest base or ground floor of the mosque.) secondly is the Tarigat (understand and following the Righteous Pathway to be with Allah), symbolized by the bottom third-tiered roof where the first floor is located. Next, is the Hagigat (accepting and knowing the Truth of Allah), symbolized by the second-tiered roof, Finally, the Makrilat (enlightenment: knowing and highly cautious with the Godly existence of Allah and reaching towards heaven) exemplified by the highest or the top most tiered root of the mosque form while the crowned apex of the pyramidal rot expresses the act of reaching towards Allah.

The interior of the mosque also shows native influence and local Malacca Malay architecture. The interior space of the prayer hail is enormous due to the opened ceiling that rises of the height of the dome apex. The structure of the main prayer hall is supported by sets of three large columns on four of its corner, leaving the centre of the prayer hall at a wide open space without columns.

Apart from the main prayer hall as the biggest block, the Al-Azim Mosque also consists of six other small blocks which caters for different purposes. Three of the small blocks have taken the form of a square and built with a tool treatment similar to the architectural style of the main prayer block, they are dome-topped roofs and have similar ridges design treatments as the main block, but due to the smaller size, are constructed with single tiered pyramidal roofs. These blocks are attached to the front, left and right of the main prayer block and each has a staircase to serve as an entrance porch. The same dome style of the main roof can also be found topping the mosque’s 57 metres high minaret. This minaret is pentagon-shaped to connote the five obligatory tenets of Islam.

Mosque Data

Architect

ATSA Architects

Type

Central

Country

Malaysia

Owner/Founder

Malacca State (Founder: Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Tapa)

Year

1990

Area

5734

Drawings

Interactive Map

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