Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Macau Mosque and Cemetery

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Affiliation
  
Sunni Islam

Capacity
  
100 worshippers

Completed
  
1980s

Architectural type
  
Mosque

Macau Mosque and Cemetery

Location
  
4 Ramal Dos Moros, Nossa Senhora de Fátima  Macau

Address
  
Ramal dos Mouros 嚤 囉 園 路, Macau

Similar
  
Taizi Great Mosque, Caoqiao Mosque, Altyn Mosque, Shanxiang Mosque, Wuxi Mosque

Macau mosque and cemetery 20 9 2013


The Macau Mosque and Cemetery (Chinese: 澳門伊斯蘭清真寺及墳場; Portuguese: Mesquita e Cemitério de Macau) is the only mosque and Muslim cemetery in Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Macau, China.

Contents

History

It is believed that Macau Mosque was built by Muslims who arrived with the Portuguese army. Originally, these Muslims were recruited from South Asia by the army. Within the complex area, there are also Muslim cemetery with some of the tombs dated back for hundreds of years, indicating that Islam had arrived in Macau since hundreds of years ago.

In 1996, the IAM submitted a redevelopment plan of the mosque to Portuguese Macau government but was not approved. To accommodate the increasing number of Muslims in Macau, in 2006 the IAM applied for government permission to build a new larger mosque in area adjacent to the current mosque building. In the late months of 2007, Macau Mosque underwent renovation.

In the future, the new mosque is planned to be double in size to be a more modern mosque for Macau with a total area of 1,881 m2, 50 meters high and can accommodate up to 600 worshipers. An Islamic center, cheap Halal restaurant, 30-room hostel and classroom and 127-meter high 38-story residential building will also be constructed.

Architecture

The Macau Mosque and Cemetery area consists of Macau Mosque, extended area of the mosque, Macau Muslim cemetery, headquarters of the Islamic Association of Macau, ablution place, badminton court and playground. The size of Macau Mosque is around 6.5 meter x 12 meter which can accommodate around 100 worshipers. The Macau Mosque and Cemetery entrance gate was donated by Halima binti Sheik on 27 June 1973 in the memory of Adam Sheik.

Activities

Macau Mosque houses the headquarters of the Islamic Association of Macau (IAM; Chinese: 澳門伊斯蘭會; Portuguese: Associação Islâmica de Macau), which manages the daily operation of the mosque. The association was founded in 1935 in Portuguese Macau.

More people visit the mosque on Sunday during their off days due to their tight working schedule in the weekdays or for wedding and during big Islamic festivities, such as Eid al-Adha. Most of them do the Quran reading activities. During Eid al-Adha, the Muslims sacrifice cows and slaughter them at the Macau Slaughter House.

Transportation

In the future, Macau Mosque and Cemetery will be served from Zona do Nordeste Station of the Macau LRT.

References

Macau Mosque and Cemetery Wikipedia