Masjid Jamek Laksamana Hang Tuah, Kampung Duyong

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Formerly known as the Duyong Mosque, Masjid Jamek Laksamana Hang Tuah is among the 54 historic mosques in Melaka. As its name depicts, its establishment was linked to the legendary warrior of the former Melaka Malay Sultanate, Hang Tuah. It was built after the handing over of Melaka by the Dutch to the British as part of the British Straits settlement. Located within a traditional village of Duyong, it was also built near the newly developed Hang Tuah Centre, a museum-cum-cultural centre dedicated to the Malacca legendary warrior Hang Tuah and his affiliates.
The local villagers from the surrounding area jointly built the mosque in 1850 and was led by a headman named Wan Chilek. It features the typical Melaka Malay vernacular mosque architecture of tiered roof with a pagoda style minaret. Throughout the years, various parts of the mosque have been added, including a minaret on the southeast side of the mosque which was constructed in 1909. In 1960, major renovation was initiated that saw the changing of the original clay tiles, a new staircase and ceiling finish and an additional ablution pond was added the following year. To meet the increasing number of worshippers, further expansion project was performed, once in 1973 and the other in 1976. However, unfortunate event occurred in 1982 when a fire razed some parts of the mosque’s structure. Though the mosque was severely damaged, the main building form was still intact and unaffected. Another extension project was done in 1991 to cater to the increasing number of worshippers, with additional blocks on the eastern side of the mosque.
In 2002, conservation work was carried out to preserve some of the precious architectural elements. Eight years later, the mosque’s name was officially renamed to become Masjid Jamek Laksamana Hang Tuah in honour of the most revered Malay warrior. After much renovation and conservation works were carried out, the mosque’s building has been restored carefully to its former glory. The clay roof tiles have been used to replace the old corrupted asbestos sheets. The elaborate pinnacle originally made of carved coral stone has been replaced with a steel crown instead.