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mehrab, blending harmoniously with the 24-feet high verandah columns which, in section, appear as elongat- ed hexagonals with concave sides.

one

Connected to the main building by a covered way leading directly off side is the scimitar-shaped colonnade housing two large ablu- tion bowls. Here the worshippers. instead of stooping to wash their feet before entering the prayer hall. can sit down to the task on small, anvil- shaped stone seats. The water is provided by turning on any one of a row of taps set into the sides of the bowls.

▲ Looking up into the main dome from the prayer hall. The chandelier lamps, hung from different levels to form a cluster, are seen radiating from the

centre.

Muslim idiom. The three immense doors which lead in to the prayer hall. taking up the greater part of each 50-feet wide wall. follow the same arched pattern.

Forming an annexe to the fourth wall. facing westwards towards Mecca according to the required Muslim precepts. is the oval-shaped enclosure for the mehrab. where the

This entire colonnade is raised on a shallow platform which gives it the illusion of floating two feet about the ground. Like an inflated para- chute. held down at four corners, a reinforced concrete dome spans the two roof wings of the collonade. each of which has two much smaller and shallower domes set into it.

Imam stands when he leads the prayers. Coloured glass windows are set into the glazed mosaic walls of the mehrab. which is flanked on one side by the Imam's office and on the other by a small storeroom for electrical and cleaning equipment. both carefully concealed.

Five fin-like buttresses flank the semi-circular outer wall of the

Rising upward and outward from the north-east corner of the site. braced by two sweeping buttresses which give it an appearance of pre- paring for flight. is the single minaret. 100-feet high and affording a splendid view of the surrounding countryside. The platform at the top. which in Islamic lore is design- ed to hold the muezzin who calls the faithful to prayer, is reached by a spiral flight of stairs and topped by another anodised aluminium dome. supported, as are the smaller domes on the main building, on а star- shaped formation of reinforced con-

crete.

A deep culvert which separates the mosque site from the entrance road to the university is crossed by a small. hump-backed bridge which provides an additional ornamental feature to the main approach,

The mosque was built as a gift to the university from the staff of Prime Minister's Department and is named after the Prime Minister. Tengku Abdul Rahman. who is also the university's Chancellor. It caters not only for the Muslim students and staff members of the university. but also for

for those from the nearby Language Institute and Malayan Teachers Training College.

THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER-VOLUME 18, NUMBER

94

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