Notes:
The Darul Ghufran Mosque (or the Masjid Darul Ghufran) as of 27 Sept 2020, is the largest mosque in Singapore.
Masjid Darul Ghufran, which opened in 1990, underwent reconstruction and major upgrading works which began in 2016.
Completed in December 1990, Masjid Darul Ghufran serves as a focal point for the Muslim community in Tampines. Originally built with a brown brick facade, the mosque was later encased in azure blue cladding, which transformed it into a distinctive landmark of the area and resulted in its colloquial name of Menara Biru, or "Blue Minaret" in Malay.
Designed by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), Darul Ghufran's architecture was described as an "interplay on walls", flowing seamlessly from the surrounding swimming pool and sports complex on Tampines Avenue 5. The prayer hall, with its stepped ceiling, was a cavernous space with 60m-long concrete beams. After consultations with the community, a dome was also added to the minaret, together with Islamic geometric motifs on the mosque's windows and entrances.
The cost of constructing Darul Ghufran was funded through the Mosque Building Fund, Mendaki Fund and community fundraising, which began in the mid-1980s with activities such as football tournaments and food sales. Various suraus (or prayer houses) from former kampongs (“villages” in Malay) in the east including those from Kampong Darat Nanas, Seri Kembangan and Padang Terbakar also contributed funds received from the redevelopment of their land
.The mosque reopened in 2019 with new features and facilities. Three more floors were added to the existing structure - a basement carpark, a fourth storey and a roof terrace. The mosque sited next to Our Tampines Hub, can accommodate up to 5,500 worshippers, making the mosque the biggest in Singapore.
It houses two new annexes dedicated for office space and classrooms for Islamic education and a dedicated centre for religious outreach on its premises.
Another new feature of the mosque is a Youth Hub, an inclusive and dedicated space foryouth to gather and seek knowledge.
Photo in logo credit:
National Heritage Board
https://www.roots.gov.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/tampines-heritage-trail-religious-institutions-trail/Masjid%20Darul%20Ghufran
Info:
https://www.roots.gov.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/tampines-heritage-trail-religious-institutions-trail/Masjid%20Darul%20Ghufran
https://www.muis.gov.sg/mosque/Our-Mosques/Mosque-Directory/Darul-Ghufran