Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali

Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali, also known as Masjid Moulana Mohd Ali, is a unique mosque located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District at 80 Raffles Place, #B1-01, UOB Plaza, Singapore 048624. It is widely known as Singapore’s only underground mosque, making it a distinctive place of worship among the mosques in the country. Its location beneath an office building creates a calm and peaceful space that contrasts with the busy business district above.

The mosque has a long connection with the Muslim community working in the city area. Its origins date back to the 1950s, when two double-storey shophouses at 16 and 18 Market Street were purchased in 1953 and 1955 by Mohamed Javad Namazie, Haji Mohamed Khan, and M. M. Abdul Wahab. They recognised the need for a dedicated place of worship for Muslims in the Central Business District. The mosque was named after Moulana Mohamed Ali, who lived from 1878 to 1931 and was known as a defender of the Islamic Khilafat.

As the Central Business District developed, the original Market Street mosque site was affected by urban redevelopment. In 1982, an agreement was made to exchange the old shophouse site for the present basement location at UOB Plaza, which provided a larger space for worshippers. The current mosque was completed in 1994 and later officially opened at its new premises on 31 March 1996.

Today, Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali mainly serves office workers, visitors, and members of the Indian Muslim community in the city. It supports daily prayers, Friday prayers, and religious lectures, and remains an important spiritual landmark in Raffles Place.