Masjid Malabar or Malabar Muslim Jama'ath Mosque (Tamil: , Arabic: ), also known as Golden Dome Mosque or alternatively the Blue Mosque, is a historic mosque located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan in the Kampong Glam district within the Rochor Planning Area in Singapore. First built in 1819 on a site of an older mosque and recognizable for its blue lapis lazuli tiled exterior and three golden domes, it is the only mosque in the country that caters to Malabar Muslims. Due to its similarities in architecture, especially with the golden onion domes, the mosque has been nicknamed as the "cousin" of the Sultan Mosque.
The original mosque was part of the Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery, an Indian Muslim section of the wider Jalan Kubor Cemetery located at the junction of Victoria Street and Jalan Sultan that dated back to 1819. The cemetery along with its mosque fell into disrepair and were abandoned by 1929, allowing the newly-formed Malabar Muslim Jama'at to occupy and take ownership of the mosque as well as relocate their main offices from Changi Road and Bussorah Street to this new location. A fundraising campaign was launched by the Malabar Muslim Jama'at to finance the reconstruction of the mosque, which attracted donations from both Muslims and non-Muslims in the area. The foundation stone for the new mosque was officially laid on 10 April 1956 in a groundbreaking ceremony attended by the Mufti of Johor, who represented the Sultan of Johor. Construction was finished by late 1962 and Masjid Malabar was officially inaugurated by the contemporary Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Yusof bin Ishak, on 24 January 1963. After the independence of Singapore, the mosque was renovated in 1988 when it had again fallen into a state of disrepair as well as to improve the collapsing wooden furnishings.
Im 2012, the mosque committee discussed buying the land around the mosque, including the land that the cemetery was situated on, to expand the mosque. As part of the Mosque Upgrading Program, an initiative launched by the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), plans were revealed in 2020 of a proposed extension of the mosque, with a new three-storey annex building that houses a madrasah, female prayer space, heritage gallery, as well as an auditorium hall. The proposed extension drew worries from locals, who were concerned that graves in the adjacent cemetery may be affected by construction. In response to these worries, the chairman of the mosque confirmed that the mosque's committee and relevant authorities would do their best to ensure that as many graves as possible were unharmed by the construction. Once plans had been finalized, construction on the extension started in 2020 and was completed by 2023.
Masjid Malabar is built upon an Indo-Saracenic architectural style, designed by Indian Muslim architect A.H. Siddique who also helped with the design of the Gurdwara Sahib Katong along Wilkinson Road.
The mosque has one large golden onion dome atop the central part of the building, followed by a smaller one on a platform that tops the southeastern part of the building. The minaret is an octagonal tower topped by a similar golden dome and is situated on the right of the central part of the building. All the domes, including the ones on the minaret, have a crescent-and-star sitting atop them. The exterior and façade of the mosque is covered in bright blue lapis lazuli tiles, a distinctive feature of the mosque making it remarkable to locals around the area. Due to the mosque's blue tiled exterior, it has been known as the "Blue Mosque."
Inside the mosque, the Qur'an study room is located on the first level, along with a lounge for visitors to relax as well as the mosque administrative office. The main prayer hall is located on the second level and is accessible from the main entrance by a grand staircase with wooden railings.
Behind the mosque is a small closed cemetery which is part of the old Tittacheri Muslim Cemetery. Towards the eastern end of the cemetery, closer to the boundary of the mosque that faces Victoria Street, is the elevated grave of Sayyid Kunhi Koya Thangal, a Malabar Muslim scholar and preacher who was buried there in 1950. Within the cemetery are a group of graves belonging to the family and descendants of Kunhi Koya Thangal. Towards the western end of the cemetery, there is a mausoleum for Bugis entrepreneur Ambo Sooloh and his parents. After the 2023 renovation, all of the graves are located within the boundaries of the mosque, but are not considered as part of the main mosque.
Masjid Malabar is directly accessible via the Lavender MRT station on the EastâÂÂWest line. For bus services, it is served by the bus stop along Victoria Lane, which is within walking distance from the mosque.