Malaysian Architecture Tour Panglima Kinta Mosque Architecture and History

Donation is welcomed https://paypal.me/VirtualTourCreatorMy?locale.x=en_US

Hi Guys, welcome to this Architecture and history video on Panglima Kinta Mosque in Ipoh town, A town also knows as Millionaires town

The mosque Architecture  

As we see this floor plan from 1928 the main prayer hall is almost a square with at each side flanked by beautiful minarets

All of us a well aware of the great Architecture of Taj Mahal, which was built in 1631 about 390years ago, it was commissioned by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife passed On in the same, year giving birth to their 14^th child. This is Mosque build by Datoh Panglima Kinta Muhamad Yusuf bin Lassam. In the same year for his beloved wife passed away in the same year 1898.

Panglima, Is title give similar to Load or General or A person of high ranking in the Malay ruler’s kingdom.

Open Parapet and Finials

If you watch the Architecture video the open work Parapet, embossed as 1898 which as the same year in Kuala Lumpur saw the completion of Caracosa Negara. The fine, resident for Resident General Frank Swettenham. Whiles in this tour you could join for Heritage tour in Kuala Lumpur.  On the porch, openwork parapet each end Flanked by a set of 3 finials on the openwork Parapet 

We at the square porch of the mosque in the olden days it may have been used horse carriage buggy. As we see both sides of the inverted angle from the octagonal load-bearing walls that support the dome.

Foyer, Horseshoe Arches (Moorish)

The foyer, before the entrance to the Main Prayer hall is through a Moorish touch horseshoe arch. As we enter, we see magnificent square stepped columns or Pillar (all pillars are Columns but not all columns are pillars)

Stepped moulding & Plinth  

We see Stepped moulding Crown on the pillar and similar repetition on the mid moulding. As though resting on a square stepped plinth. The square is designed as of wooden panelling.

Mihrab, Doric

The Niche or Mihrab is facing towards Mekah. The Mihrab is Horseshoe arched flanked by engaged smooth Doric column at wall moulding level.

Mimbar or Pulpit

The Pulpit or Mimbar, this where the Khatib or Imam (The lead person for prayer) of the mosque will step up and give the sermons especial Friday sermon. This Mimbar is very unique it was built in the year of 1928 by Master Craftsman from Penang Tuan Haji Mohamed Sopian und the instruction of 12^th Panglima Kinta Che Wan bin Muhamad Yusuff. Tuan Sopian is also have built the Royal Palace Istana Kenangan in 1926 for the Sultan of Perak. This Palace built in Malaya Traditional Architecture.

The Pulpit is engraved with floral motifs of Bunga Tanjung (Cape Flower) Mimusops Elengi (which has herbal medicinal value). It does not use nails but dowel joints. Cokmar Is authority rod hold by the Khatib went he delivers the sermon or Khutbah.

Fenestration and transom

Except for the Mihrab or Niche’s wall, the other 3 sides of the Main Prayer walls have every 3 sets of door fenestration. On the top of door sunburst motif (Not Art doco), blue, green and orange coloured float glass shaped transom or fanlight are used. It has a wooden circle at offset below the centre. I think this may not be an easy panelling to build by the wood frame carpenter then.

This curtain covered area is dedicated to the women folks to perform prayers. This hall is capable to hold about 400 people.

Very Wealthy man

We are now below the Hemispheric dome. At the front on both sides of the wall with notice board of the mosque there, you can read activities of Mosque for the congregation. Beyond the courtyard is a double story Malay Traditional bumbung Potong Perak house. Bumbung refers to Ridge of the roof. Please book a tour with Johnson to visit Malay Traditional house.

The courtyard is an important feature in the Islamic architecture, but this courtyard is paved with white marble from the recent mosque amenities upgrade. When took this video it was noon and the marble was quite hot.

Balai Lintang (Dining Hall)

The Balai lintang (dining hall) built much later as the finial on open parapet does not co-exist with the mosque finials in proportion. The semi-circle arch, polycarbonate awning, concrete pillars are of more modern.

Entablature

We can see the mosque has the old cast iron rain Water downpipe intact. A series of coble is below the cornice support. The entablature has a curl motif on the frieze. Above the openwork parapet, there are series of Leaf motif crenellation. The Palmette leaf motif, have 5 lobed. As the Islamic religion does not allow the usage of animal or human figure but rather use of simple and complex geometrical patterns.

Madagascar Almon

The row of tree urban tree we see in the front mosque compound are the Madagascan Almont trees (Terminalia Mantaly) it is good shady ornamental trees.

The Double Minarets & Portholes

I find the Minarets are amazing, divided it into six sections with various fenestrations at differ levels. The cross-section will show an octagonal shape or eight-sided.

The second section of the minaret looking like a horizontal dumbbell fenestration on six sides. The two inner sides open in mosque veranda providing an opening to a spiral staircase to top roof level. Above these fenestrations are double portholes on each side. Where the loud speakers are fixed the architecture is Neoclassical, Palladian or Venetian window, with alternate sides is pierced by narrow rectangle fenestration. Prior to loudspeaker time, the Khatib or Pak Bilal goes up to do call for prayer. One of the most ornate element is the eight-sided buttresses supporting the fifth section as the minaret tapers to the cupola capital.

Pyramidal roof and Hemispheric Dome

At the centre of the roof above the main prayer supported by four pillars is the pyramidal roof with clerestory window. Above the foyer is Islamic influenced Moorish hemispherical dome with 12 panel clerestory windows in is supported by Octagonal short pillars. The Dome was painted in bluish colour with eight gold lining. The dome is plastered.

Veranda  (Setambi)

Veranda (Serambi) in Vernacular Malay Architecture is an import feature it is a roofed open area for allowing good ventilation. Unfortunately, the mosque has closed two of the horseshoe arches to facilitate Meeting room and a library. Rear part of mosque or shall I say facing towards Mecca forms a protruding Niche or Mihrab from the main prayer hall.

 

 

0