Photo used for illustration purposes only
MELAKA – No visitor to the Historic City of Melaka will be able to miss the charm of the unique architecture of its mosques that were built back in the 18th century.
The more familiar semi-spherical dome did not form the basis of mosque construction during that era in Melaka, which was then a prominent centre for the dissemination of Islam in Nusantara (now known as Southeast Asia).
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Instead, the mosques featured the pyramidal three-tiered roof – also known as the meru roof – and pagoda-shaped minaret that clearly reflected Chinese architectural elements.
The fusion of cultures in the architecture can be attributed to the traders who sailed to Melaka from the west and east, including China, as it was also a busy trading centre then.