Sultan Mosque

“Only Mosque in Singapore Open to Tourists” Our hotel is across the street from the Arab Street section of town. So we decided to visit and to see the mosque as communication is much easier in Singapore than other places to question and query about the do’s and don’ts. The latest version of the mosque is less than 100 years old, so it’s not something at all ancient. (There is a placard across from the place talking about its history.) We arrived shortly before noon when they close for afternoon prayers. Nonetheless they welcomed us graciously and with an extremely friendly temperament. We were appropriately dressed, but as mentioned in other reviews, gowns are available free of charge for those not dressed accordingly. The docents were extremely hospitable and answered all questions. So we learned that this is the largest mosque in Singapore and the only one open to tourists. It is considered the National Mosque of Singapore. You can’t enter the main hall unless you are Muslim, but you can still see the beautiful and sedate architecture and lovely green color scheme (never seen this color before) inside. There are some information posters in the back to learn more about Islam. Unfortunately they have no information about this mosque in particular and only an information booklet about Islam, which is actually from Houston, Texas USA! Currently the mosque is under remodeling and some of the outside building is covered in sheeting. Thus it was disheartening to see other visitors not even offering a S$1 as a donation to visit, for the upkeep, or to help defray the remodeling costs. As a non-Muslim, you can see everything in ten minutes or so. More time is needed if you want to read the information posters or look at some of the “museum finds” in the back as you enter- look for the tiny Qur’an, for which you would need eagle eyes to read! And as has been mentioned, the area is filled with material (fabric) stores, carpet shops, general touristy shops, perfumeries (oils), and, of course, eating establishments. If you are at all curious about mosques this is most recommended. But please leave a small donation as gratitude as you would in any house of worship.