The Story and History Behind the 44-Dome Mosque in Ipoh
Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque was inaugurated on September 15, 1978, by Sultan Idris Iskandar Shah II (the 33rd Sultan of Perak) in conjunction with his 33rd birthday celebration. The mosque is situated on a plot of land measuring approximately 2.6 hectares in the heart of Ipoh city.
Construction work for the Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque began on May 16, 1966, and the foundation stone was laid on October 27, 1967, by the late Tun Haji Abdul Razak (the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia), who was the Deputy Prime Minister at the time. The mosque was completed on August 26, 1968. Initially, it was named the Perak State Mosque and was eventually renamed Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque in honor of Sultan Idris Iskandar Shah II, who passed away in 1984. The idea for the mosque's construction originated from the late Orang Kaya-Kaya Panglima Bukit Gantang Seri Amar Diraja Abdul Wahab in 1951. As the Menteri Besar of Perak at the time, he realized that the existing mosques in Ipoh were insufficient. To accommodate all the worshippers who wished to perform mandatory prayers at one time, such as Friday prayers, festival prayers, and others, the idea to build the Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque emerged. The total construction cost was RM1,840,000.00.
The mosque is rectangular in shape, measuring 84 meters in length and 42 meters in width. The Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque has two floors, with the upper level of the building covered by terrazzo lattices intertwined with traditional Islamic motifs.
Surrounding the mosque are tall, slender terrazzo pillars. Originally, the roof of the main prayer hall was built with reinforced concrete featuring 44 square openings to release heat; however, today all these openings have been closed since the hall was air-conditioned in 1995. These openings were sheltered by 30 bubble domes and 14 flat domes, decorated with multicolored glass. These domes surround a large central dome located in the middle of the main prayer hall. The large dome has a width of 10.3 meters from the floor. All these domes appear beautifully arranged from the outside, glistening under the sunlight. The main prayer hall is rectangular, 36 meters wide, and can accommodate approximately 1,500 people. The floor is covered with carpets featuring stripes that indicate prayer rows (saf). At the entrance and on the mihrab wall, there are inscriptions of holy verses.
The smaller hall measures approximately 36 meters in length and 12 meters in width. It can accommodate about 500 people and is reserved for women, as well as used for Quranic studies and religious lectures.
The mosque's minaret rises 31 meters from the ground to its peak and is equipped with iron stairs and an elevator with a 6-person capacity. The view from the top of this minaret covers the entire Ipoh city area. Four loudspeakers are installed under its roof. Located opposite the Ipoh Railway Station, the Sultan Idris Shah II Mosque is one of the prominent landmarks in Ipoh City. Its beautiful architecture stands as a symbol of the pride of Islamic civilization in Perak.
