The 68th National Monument has been declared — the Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) officially gazetted the mosque along Pheng Geck Avenue earlier today, which was first receted in 1932 by the Alkaffs, one of the most prominent Arab families in Singapore.
As one of the two mosques established by the Alkaffs in the '30s — the other being Alkaff Kampong Melayu Mosque — NHB considers the newly gazetted monument as a testimony of the Arab Community's landholdings and philanthropic acts in early Singapore, and the only identified landmark attributed to the family which has remained largely intact over the years.
Although extensive upgrading works were completed earlier in March this year, the Mosque still retains most of its earliest structure, possessing elements from Ottoman-Islamic design, Neoclassical styles and ancient Egyptian and Achaemenid architecture. "We are honoured that Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque has been gazetted as a National Monument," says MUIS Director of Mosques Helmy Isa. "Working with the
Mosque Management Committee, we were able to conserve features and preserve its heritage while adding to its functionality to meet the needs of its growing congregants. With the preservation, Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque will continue to be a hub of activities for the local Muslim community.”
Photo: Google Maps screengrab
The 68th National Monument has been declared — the Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) officially gazetted the mosque along Pheng Geck Avenue earlier today, which was first receted in 1932 by the Alkaffs, one of the most prominent Arab families in Singapore.
As one of the two mosques established by the Alkaffs in the '30s — the other being Alkaff Kampong Melayu Mosque — NHB considers the newly gazetted monument as a testimony of the Arab Community's landholdings and philanthropic acts in early Singapore, and the only identified landmark attributed to the family which has remained largely intact over the years.
Although extensive upgrading works were completed earlier in March this year, the Mosque still retains most of its earliest structure, possessing elements from Ottoman-Islamic design, Neoclassical styles and ancient Egyptian and Achaemenid architecture. "We are honoured that Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque has been gazetted as a National Monument," says MUIS Director of Mosques Helmy Isa. "Working with the
Mosque Management Committee, we were able to conserve features and preserve its heritage while adding to its functionality to meet the needs of its growing congregants. With the preservation, Alkaff Upper Serangoon Mosque will continue to be a hub of activities for the local Muslim community.”
Photo: Google Maps screengrab