Built between 1997 and 1999 and surrounded by Putrajaya Lake and facing Putra Square, the unique Putra Mosque with its magnificent pink domes is one of the popular landmarks of Putrajaya, the new federal administrative capital of Malaysia Named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, the mosque is modelled after the Persian Islamic architecture of the Safavid period, blended with traditional Malaysian design elements, along with some elements derived from Middle Eastern Muslim cultural styles. While its 380.5 feet (116 m) tall minaret resembles that of the Sheikh Omar Mosque in Baghdad, the Capital City of Iraq, its basement wall resembles that of the King Hassan Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Putra Mosque, one of the few pink mosques in the world, adorned with its monumental dome, clad in glazed pink tiles, stands in the rear of the large Putra Square, used for festivals such as the Malaysian Independence Day parade, with flagpoles flying the Malaysian flag and each of its states.
Popularly known as the Pink Mosque, the Putra Mosque was built to accommodate around 15,000 worshippers at a time, while its courtyard can hold another 5,000. The mosque consists of three main functional areas, which are a simple yet elegant prayer hall, the Sahn or the courtyard and various learning facilities and several rooms for different functions. Despite its imposing image, the Sahn or the courtyard has been used as a transition space between the outer world and religious realms and has also been demarcated by a monumental arched portal.
As the Masjid Putra and the Putra Square, both are situated on a man-made lagoon, they are linked to the Putrajaya Boulevard and the commercial district of Precinct 2 through the Persian-inspired Putra Bridge.
The Putra Mosque, constructed in rose-tinted granite, gives its desert-pink hue that offsets the Cengal woodwork on doors, windows and panels. Apart from the intricately embellished main pink dome, there are eight smaller pink domes with similar patterns, distributed across the cupolas of the main prayer hall building, flanking the main dome, settled on an octagonal tier above a flat roof. The tall pink minaret of the mosque has five elongated levels with a simpler modern design, representing the five pillars of Islam.
The square layout of the simple and elegant main prayer hall is supported by 12 columns that span the space and form pointed arches across the hall and prop up the 118 feet (36 m) diameter main dome. The hall is richly crafted with intricate decorations in the Islamic tradition and every single angle and corner of it is embellished with floral and decorative motifs. The prayer hall is surrounded by a glass wall, providing an indirect source of natural lighting to illuminate the interior spaces.
The front of the Qibla wall, facing Mecca, is decorated with floral plaster motifs on each side of the Mihrab, a niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca, equipped with diamond-shaped windows. The Mihrab, with its marble frame adorned with calligraphic inscriptions, is placed in the centre of the three-segmented Qibla wall, which comprises a square frame supported by pilasters before the niche, which sits under a smaller arch. The stairs of the elevated wooden Minbar lead to a pulpit platform topped with a dome embellished in gold, which is used by the preacher to deliver a sermon. The huge prayer hall can comfortably accommodate up to 8000 male worshippers at the ground level, while the 1st floor can hold 2000 female worshippers.
Putra Mosque in Putrajaya houses a library, lecture rooms, a modern auditorium with the capacity to accommodate 300 people and a dining hall for entertaining up to 239 guests for appropriate social functions, among which the auditorium and the dining hall are available on payment of the scheduled rent. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit the mosque, except during prayer time.