Situated on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west is the state of Selangor, one of the 13 states of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur was once Selangor's capital when the state united with Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang to form the Federated Malay States in 1896. But the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin, sadly has to sign away sovereignty over Kuala Lumpur and renouncing the then state capital to the federal government in 1974, making Kuala Lumpur the new Federal Territory and the national capital of Malaysia. Selangor's capital was then moved to Shah Alam.
Selangor is the first developed state in Malaysia, the richest state followed by Penang. It houses some of the most beautiful attractions in Malaysia including the Batu Caves. But today I'm going to introduce to you one of the most impressive architecture I discovered in this state. It is the largest mosque in the country.
On my road trip to Selangor last December of 2010, I was on a trail to find that magnificent mosque with a blue dome. My curiosity was piqued by this feature. So there and then with the helpful guide of the GPS, it was able to locate the mosque which was prominently situated at Shah Alam with the perfect dome in blue and white hues - the most distinguishable feature in the capital of Selangor. The dome was about 170 feet in diameter and rose up to a height of 350 feet from the ground. There were also four minarets with a height of 142.3 meters, making them one of the world's tallest.
 |
| Close up photo of the blue dome. |
The mosque's is originally known as Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, the longest name of an architecture I have ever heard. Today it is simply called as the Blue Mosque courtesy of its bluish dome feature with a little bit of a modern touch. It is the state mosque of Selangor, Malaysia and the second largest one in Southeast Asia after the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta Indonesia. It can hold up to 20,000 devotees at one time.
Taking picture of the dome was a great challenge as it was difficult to find the right spot to get the whole architecture. It only proved how massive this mosque was.
So if you are interested to see this Blue Mosque, stop by Shah Alam in Selangor Malaysia. Shah Alam, being the state's capital is a beautiful and pleasant place to visit. It is clean and neatly housed and it promises a wonderful journey with the view of lush surroundings and green scenery.
