Masjid Hajjah Fatimah (Jawi: مسجد حاجة فاطمة, Arabic: مَسْجِد ٱلْحَاجَّة فَاطِمَة; transliterated as Masjid Al-Ḥājjah Fāṭimah) is a mosque located along Beach Road in Kampong Glam, Singapore. It is named for its founder, Fatimah binti Sulaiman, who is buried in the same place along with her family and descendants. The mosque is recognizable and well-known for its eclectic architecture, such as its unique minaret and golden onion dome, while it has also been gazetted as a national monument of Singapore.
Masjid Hajjah Fatimah is one of two mosques named after women, the other being Masjid Khadijah that is located along Geylang Road.
History
Fatimah binti Sulaiman, a wealthy Bugis merchant, funded the construction of the mosque in 1845. Old records describe that her house in Kampong Glam was robbed twice by burglars and even set on fire in one of these robberies. Experiencing a sense of gratitude for being kept safe during these incidents, Fatimah founded the mosque on the site of her former residence as a way to show her gratitude towards the divine. She was buried in the mosque after her death in the late 19th century, along with some of her immediate family members and heirs. In the 1930s, French contractors Bossard & Mopin rebuilt the main prayer hall of the mosque with the help of local Malay sculptors, based on conceptual designs by Chinese architects Chung & Wong. The burial ground inside the mosque was officially closed down in 1973 along with several other old Muslim cemeteries such as Kubur Kassim and the cemetery of Kampong Wak Selat, an old village in Kranji.
In 1998, Masjid Hajjah Fatimah underwent extensive renovations as part of a restoration project. The mosque was given a new coat of paint, while decorative tiles and patterns that had been broken throughout the years were replaced with new ones.
Architecture
thumb|Aerial view of the compound of Masjid Hajjah Fatimah.
Eclecticism is prominent in the architecture of the mosque. Indo-Saracenic architectural features appear on the exterior, such as the bulbous onion dome. The entrance and balconies of the mosque are all done in a Moorish style. Chinese green glazed tiles coat the parapet of the mosque. The minaret, on the other hand, resembles the spire of European churches, especially those built in the colonial era of Singapore.
thumb|A view underneath the bulbous onion dome that tops the main prayer hall of the mosque.
The compound of the mosque consists of the main prayer hall, the minaret, a residence for the Imam, private terrace dormitories, a madrasa, as well as a private cemetery behind the main prayer hall. The small tilt is caused by modern renovations that caused the handmade bricks at the base of the minaret to be dislodged and move slightly from their original positions.
thumb|Lancet shaped doorways and windows can be seen in the mosque.
The main prayer hall of the mosque is not parallel to the entrance but rather it is situated diagonally in order to face Mecca, as is the requirement with all mosques. The golden, bulbous onion dome tops the main prayer hall, while twelve lancet shaped windows at the base of the dome help to illuminate the interior of the mosque, along with a chandelier that hangs from the interior side of the dome.
thumb|An entrance at the side leading to the mausoleum of the mosque's founder, Hajjah Fatimah.
Behind the mihrab in the main prayer hall is a small room that serves as a mausoleum for Hajjah Fatimah, her daughter Raja Siti, and her grandson Nong Chik, along with some of their direct relatives. A cemetery for the Alsagoff family and the descendants of Hajjah Fatimah surrounds the main prayer hall of the mosque.