Kampung Laut Mosque, Traditional mosque in Kelantan, Malaysia
Kampung Laut Mosque is a wooden structure that rises on stilts, featuring traditional Malay design with detailed carvings worked into its framework and walls. The interior is organized for prayer with supporting pillars, and the overall layout reflects the practical needs of a working house of worship.
Kampung Laut Mosque's construction date is unconfirmed; estimates place it in the 15th or 18th century, possibly by Champa transporters. During the Kelantan Sultanate (1859–1900) it served as a meeting point for sultans and religious leaders and as a trading post, and was expanded with 20 pillars, a three-tiered roof, a tower, an attic and a water tank. It was handed to the Kelantan Government in May 1970.
The mosque takes its name from Kampung Laut, the riverside village in Tumpat District where it originally stood before being moved to Nilam Puri. Its expansion in the late 19th century used the 'Tebuk-Pasak' technique, joining timber without a single nail. A brick monument with an inscribed plaque stands in front of the building today.
The mosque stands on Jalan Kuala Krai in Nilam Puri, opposite the Academy of Islamic Studies campus of the University of Malaya, about 11 km from Kota Bharu. The prayer hall is raised on posts, so expect to climb steps and leave shoes at the entrance. The building is an active place of worship, so time a visit outside prayer sessions.
The mosque was moved from Kampung Laut on the Kelantan River to Nilam Puri, near the University of Malaya's Islamic Studies Academy on Jalan Kuala Krai. It survived the 1926 Bah Air Merah flood and a 1966 flood that swept away riverside parts, and was repaired afterwards.
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