Posts filed under 'Religious'
Hasn’t been officially opened for public, but a new (but abandoned?) man-made island in Melaka, known as Pulau Melaka, has quietly emerged in the geographical topology of Melaka state.
Since this new man-made island is still unoccupied at this moment, except some constructed commercial properties, I thought it would be a good time for landscape photography without hustle of crowd.
What caught my attention in the serene Pulau Melaka is not the developed real estate projects, but a visually appealing mosque at dusk. This mosque, a new landmark in Melaka, is known as Masjid Selat Melaka (Melaka Strait Mosque).
As its name suggests, Masjid Selat Melaka is built along the coastline of Strait of Malacca, at the water level of the sea. So, in the evening at high tide, Masjid Selat Melaka looks like a floating mosque.
Pulau Melaka is accessible from Melaka Raya. Click here for Pulau Melaka location map (will be shown in popup).
View of Mahkota Hotel and Holiday Inn from Pulau Melaka at dusk
This shot was captured at Pulau Melaka from ground level. I don’t think I could risk my life taking this shot on the road, when Pulau Melaka is opened for public :p
December 12th, 2007
Pictures of Kampung Kling Mosque at Flickr
Whether you are a Muslim or otherwise, as long as you’re interested in the unique architecture of old buildings, you will find it worthy to visit the Sumatran-style Kampung Kling Mosque (Masjid Kampung Kling), built in 1748. Being one of the oldest functioning mosques in Malaysia, the Kampung Kling Mosque has gone through extensive timeframe and experienced changes of names – Kampung Pali Mosque, Kampung Balik Pali Mosque, Kampung Kapur Mosque.
Currently, the Kampung Kling Mosque is sitting peacefully within the busy Chinatown of Melaka (near to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple), surrounded by Chinese shop houses. However, when the mosque was originally erected, it was surrounded by neighborhood of South Indians (Keling/Kling).
The Kampung Kling Mosque is featuring vernacular mosque architecture with regional influence. It is built on a square plan rather than the rectangular or hexagonal plan of most Middle Eastern mosques. Instead of a conventional onion-like dome, the mosque has a three-tiered roof with decorative roof ridges rising like a pyramid in its place. Its minaret, structured like a pagoda, portrays a mixture of East-West architectural influence. The upper 2 layers of the three-tiered roof are covered with green tiles, while the lowest roof has a much more shallow pitch, practically horizontal and is covered by red clay shingles. If it wasn’t painted with green and white as the core colours, it’s hard to tell at one glance from exterior look if it was actually a mosque.
The vernacular mosques portray high level of craftsmanship. This can be seen in the roof, windows, fanlights, carving wall panels, fascia boards and well-designed mimbar with intricate flower motifs, to reflect Oriental influence. All the unique crafts are done by Malay craftsmen. When it was first built, there are 20 wooden side pillars, 12 wooden central pillars and four wooden main pillars. The woods used to construct the wooden pillars were imported from Kalimantan in Indonesia. Then in 1872, the pillars except the four main pillars were replaced with concrete.
In the mosque, there is a set of lamps dating back more than 100 years ago, and estimated to worth at the value of RM 150,000. This lamp set is said to be the only one in Malaysia, still functioning until today, and kept in good condition.
GPS Coordinate: N2.19679 E102.24752
January 31st, 2006
Picture of Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at Flickr
The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Melaka is the oldest functioning Chinese temple in Malaysia. It was founded in 1645 by Kapitan China Lee Wei King. Kapitan China was a position created by the Portuguese to act as an administrator of the local Chinese community.
Cheng Hoon Teng, located at the heart of Melaka Chinatown, is a premier historical monument that has survived the ravages of time. It remains the finest of Chinese temples in Malaysia - a fact underscored by an UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration. The temple is ranked among the most significant in Southeast Asia, being central to the spiritual aspirations of the Chinese community in historic Melaka.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin). This temple was constructed by skilled workers from China - master craftsmen, artisans and carpenters, who replicated the designs of the Southern Chinese temple. The building conforms strictly to the principles of Feng Shui, incorporating the fundamental belief that every aspect of life is closely related to attaining perfect harmony with nature.
The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is featuring one of the finest artworks hardly found in today’s modernized city. The magnificent gilded furniture, idols, carved beams, lacquer work and figures of deities are sure to surprise the visitors. Remember to load your digital camera your sufficient battery power and memory capacity before visiting Cheng Hoon Teng. Visitors often look at the roof to capture the images of unique artworks. When the sky is blue and dramatic, you will have an advantage in your photo.
In the temple, there’s also an altar for Confucius, a famous thinker and social philosopher of China. Prior to any school examination season, there will be a number of parents accompanying their children to pray at the altar, with the wish of doing well in the coming examination.
A rock faces pond with 18 Lohans, followers of Buddhism’s Eightfold Path who have achieved full spiritual fulfillment.
External Link
Official website of Cheng Hoon Teng temple
GPS Coordinate: N2.19752 E102.24692
January 28th, 2006
