Masjid Tengkera, Bandaraya Melaka

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Masjid Tengkera is located in the district of Tengkera (Tranquerah), about 200 metres from the coast of the Straits of Melaka. Close to the mosque is the tomb of Almarhum Sultan Hussin, the Sultan of Johor, who died in 1834. A cemetery also surrounds the area around the mosque. It was built during the later years of the Dutch colonial period in Melaka before Melaka was transferred as a British settlement and control in 1824.
Masjid Tengkera, which was built in 1828, underwent renovation in 1890 and 1910. In the mosque compound, there is a minaret shaped like a pagoda. Apart from the mosque and minaret within the mosque compound, there is also a balai (foyer hall) which was used as a gathering place in the past but now used as a centre to cultivate the teachings of Islam.
The main part of the mosque, which is emphasised in the construction of this mosque, is the roof. The structure of the roof is made of hardwood. The lowest level of the roof is called cucur atap, and its function is to shade the veranda. The middle part of the roof acts as a connector between the upper and lower levels. At the highest level, which is known as the peak of the roof, there are beautiful carvings and filigree. This peak is believed to be carved out of corals stone. The construction of the roof with clay roof tiles brought by Muslim traders from Italy was based on a rectangular roof plan. Columns are erected at the four corners, and a central column is placed there to support the load of this pyramidal roof.
Another important trait in the mosque is the mihrab. By the side of the mihrab is the minbar where the imam delivers the sermon. Masjid Tengkera has a minbar made of intan wood that is beautifully carved. Female worshippers are separated from the male worshippers with the curtains that can be adjusted.
The main prayer hall that is covered with carpet is also equipped by a veranda that can be used if the main prayer hall is full and also acts as an intermediate space between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The prayer hall and veranda are elevated above the ground and the staircase is built so as to maintain cleanliness and differentiate the usage of the space.
Masjid Tengkera has a six-storeyed minaret. The space at the top of the minaret is fitted with loudspeakers where a taboh was placed and used in the past. This taboh that looks like a drum is still being kept and, in the past, was knocked with various different rhythm to inform the people about things such as prayer time, emergency and death. There are stairs to get to the top level. The minaret was built separately from the mosque but connected with a covered walkway. The whole area of the mosque is fenced by a brick wall of 1.3 metres (four feet) high to separate the surroundings. In the southern part of the mosque, the compound is a cemetery, to the west is the road leading to Melaka City, while the north and east sides are surrounded by the village. This mosque is also equipped with an ablution pond (Aziz, A. A., 2016).