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George Town's ‘mini Mecca': Acheen Street Mosque opens its doors for cultural harmony and heritage
GEORGE TOWN, June 30 — Over the past several years, the Acheen Street Mosque here has opened its doors to the general public during Ramadan to host buka puasa with non-Muslims.
The historical mosque, located along Acheh Street, also has a sign on its gate welcoming non-Muslims to visit it.
According to mosque committee member Mohd Norhisham Mohd Abdul Kadir, this is a way for them to spread the peaceful teachings of Islam so that non-Muslims can understand the religion better.
'We don't want people to misunderstand us so our doors are always open to everyone, for them to better understand Islam and the beauty of our religion,' he said.
He said during Ramadan, they will have a harmony iftar by inviting leaders from other communities including priests from the churches in George Town and members from the Chinese kongsi and temples.
He said it is a way to promote harmony among the communities in the heritage city while also encouraging better understanding among different religious groups and cultures.
'It is why we have a signboard that welcomes non-Muslims to visit our mosque,' he said.
He said the mosque is open to visitors as long as it is not during prayer times and visitors are only required to dress appropriately if they want to enter.
Traditional 'kampung' houses within the mosque compound remain today and the mosque committee is planning to restore the one vacant house and turn it into an Islamic religious school. — Picture by Opalyn Mok
There are still five kampung houses within the compound of Acheen Street Mosque, also known as Masjid Lebuh Acheh, that are still occupied by tenants who have been living there for decades.
These are half-mansonry and half-timber bungalows that were built in the 19th century.
'Only one of these houses is vacant as we are planning to restore it and turn it into a religious school,' Mohd Norhisham said.
The Acheen Street Mosque was built in 1808 by a Muslim leader and trader from Acheh, Indonesia, Tunku Syed Hussain Al-Aidid.
It is one of the earliest mosques in Penang and formed an important part of the island's Islamic history.
A photo of Muslim pilgrims stopping over at the Acheen Street Mosque before continuing on to Mecca. — Picture from Penang Postcard Collection 1899-1930
The area surrounding the mosque used to be known as the Malay town, and was called the 'mini Mecca' in the 19th century when Muslim scholars and pilgrims used to stop there on their way to Mecca for the Haj.
It was a hub for Muslims to gather and it was also a centre of Islamic education that attracted students and religious teachers from across the region.
The mosque also played an important role in spreading Islamic teachings and culture even as Penang grew into a major trading port.
The mosque features unique architectural styles such as a weather vane on top of its minaret to show the direction of the wind.
At that time, the minaret of the mosque stood tall above the houses and served as a beacon for ships.
The minaret itself showcases influences of Yemenis or Egyptians, Chinese pagoda and Mughal buildings while the tiered roof featured Hokkien-style swallowtail ridges that were common in 18th to 19th century mosques throughout the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java.
The mausoleum of Tunku Syed Hussain and his family members is next to the mosque. — Picture by Opalyn Mok
Next to the mosque is the mausoleum of Tunku Syed Hussain and his family.
The Acheen Street Mosque will be one of the eight buildings to conduct open house tours as part of the Historic Building Open House programme during heritage celebrations on July 7.
