MASJID HAJJAH FATIMAH (MOSQUE)
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One of the peculiarities of the Hajjah Fatimah mosque is that its construction (1845-1846) was ordered by a woman, a Malay woman from Melaka who married a prosperous merchant prince Bugis from Sulawesi. Widowed at an early age, she took over her husband's business. She developed them and amassed a considerable fortune. In the late 1830s, while traveling, her house on the site of today's mosque was looted and burned by thieves. Having escaped death, she donated the land of her house and financed the construction of a mosque in its place as a token of her gratitude. An unknown British architect drew up the plans, and the building site was entrusted to French contractors. The workers on site came from Malaysia. Was it this plurality of origins that influenced the heterogeneous style of the mosque? From the street, it's the tower-minaret that first catches the eye. It bears a striking resemblance to a church steeple. Another curiosity is that it is mysteriously tilted by 6 degrees Celsius. If you step back a little, you can make out the golden dome overlooking the prayer hall. This is surmounted by the crescent moon and a 5-pointed star, symbols of the Koran. Hajjah Fatimah's remains, along with those of her daughter and son-in-law, are interred in a private mausoleum built inside the mosque. This religious edifice is unique in Singapore and well worth a visit.
