Masjid Darul Ghufran
| Masjid Darul Ghufran مسجد دار الغفران Darul Ghufran Mosque | |
|---|---|
Menara Biru[1] | |
 Exterior of Masjid Darul Ghufran | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni Islam |
| Location | |
| Location |  503, Tampines Avenue 5, Tampines, Singapore 529651 |
| Geographic coordinates | 1°21′19″N 103°56′23″E / 1.3554°N 103.9398°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic architecture, Formerly Brutalist architecture |
| Completed | 1990 |
| Construction cost | S$6.2 million (1990) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 5,500 (Projected) |
| Minaret height | 130ft |
| Website | |
| http://darulghufran.org/ | |
Masjid Darul Ghufran (Jawi: مسجد دار الغفران) is a mosque located in Tampines, Singapore. This mosque is very popular and becomes very crowded every Friday due to the lack of a mosque in the neighbouring town of Simei.[2]
History and Design
Masjid Darul Ghufran was completed in December 1990 and was officiated by Mr. Haji Othman Haron Eusofe, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC on 12 July 1991.[3]
It was designed by the Housing and Development Board and originally had a brown brick facade. The architecture was described as an "interplay on walls". The prayer hall, with its stepped ceiling, was a cavernous space with concrete beams, resulting in a Brutalist style of architecture. A dome was added to the minaret, together with Islamic geometric motifs on the windows and entrances after consultations with the community.
After structural failures with the brick facade in 1998, the mosque was later encased in azure blue paneling, which resulted in its nickname of "Menara Biru" (Blue Minaret) in Malay by the residents.[4]
Current Status
The instutuion plays an important role in the community, aspiring to be a place of choice for education and dakwah.[5]
The original Masjid Darul Ghufran has space for 4500 worshippers to pray at one time. The mosque is currently undergoing a renovation and slated to complete by end 2018. The upgrade will increase in accommodation size up to 5,500 worshippers, making it the second largest mosque after Assyakirin Mosque (capacity of 6000 worshippers) in Singapore. In addition, another mosque will be built at Tampines North, further easing the load of the mosque.[6]
The temporary mussolah, located in front of Tampines Swimming Complex, will accommodate 1000 worshippers when ready in August.[7]
Transportation
The mosque is accessible from Tampines MRT Station.
See also
References
- ^ http://darulghufran.org/about/history/
- ^ Darul Ghufran Mosque
- ^ http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/printheritage/image.aspx?id=3f25743a-f4db-4eae-a2f2-c4c2007a15b0
- ^ https://roots.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/tampines-heritage-trail-religious-institutions-trail/Masjid%20Darul%20Ghufran
- ^ http://darulghufran.org/about/about-us/
- ^ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-budget-2015-new-mosque-to-be-built-in-tampines-north
- ^ http://darulghufran.org/7009/notice-16-sep-18-sep/
External links
- Official website of Masjid Darul Ghufran
- Portal for Mosques in Singapore
- GoogleMaps StreetView of Masjid Darul Ghufran
