Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre

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Buses passing the masjid at sunset.

Facade of the masjid.

Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre or Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre (Traditional Chinese: 九龍清真寺暨伊斯蘭中心) is one of the four principal mosques in Hong Kong. Located at the corner of Nathan Road and Haiphong Road next to Kowloon Park, the Mosque is currently the largest Islamic house of worship in the city. The Mosque holds prayers daily and is capable of accommodating up to approximately 2000 people.

[edit] History

The Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre was first established in 1896, on the site where the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station now stands. It was originally intended to serve the Indian Muslim troops of the British army stationed at nearby Whitfield Barracks, now the site of the adjacent Kowloon Park. In the late 1970's, the building suffered structural defects due to the underground construction carried out for the Mass Transit Railway. With the compensation given by Mass Transit Railway Corporation and donations from Muslims, a new Mosque was built in 1984 on the present site at 105 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, to replace the old one.

[edit] The Building

The building (Mosque), designed by architect I.M. Kadri, represents the unique identity of Muslim community in Hong Kong. Decorated and elaborated, the traditional Muslim architecture of the Mosque distinguished itself from the rational and modern architecture of the nearby commercial buildings. The most prominent features of the building are the four 11m high minarets which mark the corners of the upper terrace and the extensive use of white marble on both paving and the façade.

In addition to three prayer halls and a community hall, there is a medical clinic and a library. The main prayer hall on the first floor can accommodate 1,000 people. A smaller, women's prayer hall is on the upper floor and is surrounded by a terrace. This upper hall is surmounted by a dome 5m in diameter and 9m in height.