Kapitan Keling Mosque

The basics

There’s a small visitor center in the mosque for travelers who’d like to learn more about the building’s history, and the staff provides short free tours of the areas that are open to non-Muslims. Many George Town tours explore the Street of Harmony, where other places of worship include the Chinese Buddhist Goddess of Mercy Temple (Kuan Yin Teng), the Hindu Sri Mahamariamman Temple, and St. George’s Anglican Church. You can visit on walking tours, food tours, history tours, photography tours, private tours, or self-guided audio tours.

Things to know before you go

The Kapitan Keling Mosque is a good choice for history buffs, architecture fans, and lovers of culture. Robes and scarves are available for women to cover up, but it’s still worth dressing respectfully. Wear shoes that are easy to remove, since you’ll need to take them off to enter. There is step-free access to the mosque.

How to get there

The Kapitan Keling Mosque is on the Street of Harmony in Little India, about a 0.7-mile (1-kilometer) walk from the Komtar building. It’s well served by buses, including the 201, 202, 206, and 301, or you can take a taxi, join a tour, rideshare with Grab, or drive yourself.

When to get there

Muslims are welcome to attend prayers at the mosque; the interior is open to non-Muslim visitors outside of prayer times. The exact time of prayers varies throughout the year, but on Saturday through Thursday, you’ll normally be able to visit in the morning and then in the mid-to-late afternoon; on Fridays, it’s best to visit in the morning.

Discovering Penang’s mosques

Many visitors to Penang focus on Chinese and Hindu temples, but the island’s mosques highlight its rich multicultural heritage too. The Penang State Mosque is a vast modernist structure, whose architect took inspiration from the Cathedral of Brasilia. Traders from Aceh, now part of Indonesia, built the small Acheen Street Mosque (Lebuh Aceh Mosque), and you can see its founder’s mausoleum right beside it.