About National Mosque (Masjid Negara)
Opened in August 1965, eight years after independence, the National Mosque swapped traditional domes for concrete and straight lines. The main roof, star-shaped, looks like an open umbrella; the top of the 73-meter minaret, a closed one. The design came from a team of three architects at the Public Works Department, and the mosque holds 15,000 people.
Entry is free and works in time windows between prayers, shorter on Fridays. At the entrance, anyone whose arms and legs aren't covered is lent a robe, and women a headscarf. Shoes stay outside, and it's worth following the staff's directions on where to walk.
