Kapitan Keliling Mosque - The Famous Mosque In Penang

The Kapitan Keliling moque is one of the oldest on Penang ( the other Old mosque is located in Armenian Street). In 1801, Sir George Leith, then Lieutenant Governor of Penang, granted the Muslims a 7ha piece of land for religious purposes.
Cauder Mohhidden, the Kapitan of the Indian Muslim settlers, was credited with the founding of the mosque that was subsequently named after him.



The view from outside of Kapitan Keliling Mosque



The first people who came from India to Penang were Muslims and settled down near Pitt Street an Chulia Street. They had their Kapitan Kling Mosque.

The first Arab traders settled down near Armenian Street and that became their Muslim enclave. They founded the Acheen Street Malay Mosque in 1808.

Both (Arabs and Indians) became rich by buying in spices between Sumatra (Aceh) and selling the spices on Penang to the Europeans.

In the old days there was some dispute between the people Armenian Street (Acheen Street Malay Mosque) and the Kapitan Kling Mosque about the ramadan.
But that's over now!
Nowadays there is a unique tradition in George Town in which Muslims performed their Friday prayers alternately at the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Armenian Street Malay Mosque.