Masjid Jamae is the place of worship for the Muslims along South Bridge Road. Masjid means mosque in Malay which gave its name to the street next to it known as Mosque Street.
This humble-looking mosque has been serving the Muslim community in the vicinity since the early 1800s making it one of the oldest mosques in Chinatown. Wait a second, why is there a mosque in Chinatown? Isn’t this place designated for the Chinese? Could it be for Chinese Muslims?
Well, in the early days, the Indians were living next to the Chinese in this area. Thus, the early South Indian Muslim migrants decided to set up a mosque near their living quarter.
Masjid Jamae built with 19th-century architectural style contains East and West influence. Somehow, it is often overshadowed by the more striking places of worship along the same stretch of road, Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic. However, what I really like about this mosque is that it retains its authenticity.
Perhaps the people who are managing the mosque are happy with the way it is. They could continue to serve the Muslim community providing them with tranquillity during their prayers. In addition, this mosque offers religious classes in Tamil.
