Hajjah Fatimah Mosque, Kampong Glam, Singapore Singapore

Hajjah Fatimah Mosque is located at 4001 Beach Road, in the historic Kampong Glam area. Built between 1845 and 1846, the mosque was named after Hajjah Fatimah, a wealthy businesswoman. It is the only mosque in Singapore named after a woman. Combining Eastern and Western design, the mosque is known for its unique minaret, which resembles a church spire, as well as for the noticeable tilt of the minaret that has earned it the nickname “the leaning tower of Singapore”. The mosque was gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

Background
Hajjah Fatimah was born in Malacca and married a Bugis prince. After his death, she became a businesswoman of great wealth. In the 1830s, while she was away from home, thieves burgled her house and set it on fire. To demonstrate her gratitude to divine providence for having spared her life, Hajjah Fatimah donated money and the land where her residence had stood to build a mosque that was eventually named after her.

Hajjah Fatimah Mosque was designed by an unknown British architect. However, because the minaret resembles the steeple of St Andrew's Cathedral, the designer is believed to be John Turnbull Thompson. The mosque was built between 1845 and 1846 by French contractors supported by Malay labourers.

Several periods of reconstruction later added to the design of the mosque. Hajjah Fatimah's great-grandson, Engku Aman, was instrumental in the mosque's reconstruction work in the 1920s. In the 1930s, French contractors Bossard & Mopin, with the design from architects Chung & Wong, rebuilt the main prayer hall.

After her death, Hajjah Fatimah was buried in a private enclosure behind the mosque, together with her only child Raja Siti and son-in-law Syed Abdul Rahman Alsagoff. Ownership of the mosque passed to the Alsagoff family and later to Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS). Besides commemorating Hajjah Fatimah's death anniversary, significant celebrations held at the mosque include the Prophet Muhammad's birthday.

The mosque was designated a national monument on 6 July 1973. Much-needed preservation and renovation works were undertaken around this time, including making the mosque’s dome watertight and strengthening the foundations of the building.