Masjid Kampung Laut, Nilam Puri, Kelantan

Masjid Kampung Laut, Nilam Puri, Kelantan (11 February, 2006)


Masjid Kampung Laut (GPS: 6.02742, 102.24075) is a restored historical mosque located at Kampung Nilam Puri, in Jajahan Kota Bharu, Kelantan. It is the oldest mosque building in Malaysia as well as one of the oldest in the Malay archipelago. Although the actual age of Masjid Kampung Laut is not known, its design is similar to that of Masjid Demak in Jawa which was built in 1401. Most accounts place the age of Masjid Kampung Laut as around 300 years.

Masjid Kampung Laut is believed to have been built by Muslim scholars and missionaries who were travelling between Champa (in southern Vietnam), Pattani (Thailand) and Jawa. According to a story, the ship which was carrying the missionaries got into trouble. The missionaries vowed that if they could land safely, they would build a mosque where they land. As it happened, they were able to land at Kampung Laut, and hence, erected a mosque there.

Masjid Kampung Laut was originally constructed in Kampung Laut, Tumpat, on the banks of the Kelantan River. However, when the big flood of 1967 caused part of the land on which it was standing to collapse into the river, Masjid Kampung Laut was moved to its present location in Nilam Puri.

The task to remove the mosque was carried out by the Malaysian Historical Society. In November 1967, the mosque was dismantled by a group of Kelantan carpenters, and put together again in Nilam Puri. As far as possible, the original material was used in the reconstruction. The reconstruction was completed in 1970, capping off with a ceremony on 8 May 1970 where Tun Haji Hamdan bin Sheikh Tahir of the Malaysian Historical Society handing back the mosque to Dato Haji Mohd Asri Haji Muda, the Menteri Besar of Kelantan at that time.

The architectural design of Masjid Kampung Laut is now adopted for some of the government buildings in Kelantan including the State Secretariat, the Menteri Besar's Office, and State Religious Department, among others. The prayer hall of the mosque has a triple-tiered hip roof, known as bumbung Meru, alluding to Mount Meru of Hindu cosmology.

How to go to Masjid Kampung Laut

The re-built Masjid Kampung Laut is located off Route 8, also called jalan Kuala Krai, which is the main road from Machang to Kota Bharu. It is directly across the road from the Islamic Studies Academy of Universiti Malaya.

Kodak is on the Map of Jajahan Kota Bharu, Kelantan

The main prayer hall of Masjid Kampung Laut (1 January, 2007)


The roof of Masjid Kampung Laut topped with onion-shaped ornamentation (11 February, 2006)


Fishscale tiles on the roof of Masjid Kampung Laut (11 February, 2006)


Intricate ornamentation on the eaves of Masjid Kampung Laut (11 February, 2006)


A pavilion and minaret in the compound of Masjid Kampung Laut (11 February, 2006)


A rest area in the compound of Masjid Kampung Laut (11 February, 2006)

Masjid Kampung Laut is on the Map of Kelantan

Back to Discover Kelantan mainpage; list of Mosques in Malaysia

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