Malaysia: Selangor's Blue Mosque

We began our cruise in the very first location of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. We didn't realize though that we had before us an amazing cultural experience in the Blue Mosque Selangor, Malaysia's largest mosque. We were able to enjoy this experience with our good friends, the Rust family.

To the naive eye, the Blue Mosque is breathtaking and gigantic, and one of the highlight locations in Shah Alam, Selangor Malaysia's Capital City. It has four 142.3 meter tall minarets, also the tallest in the world, with another record being held by it being the largest free standing dome, over 52.3m in width. As if that wasn't enough, here's the cool part: it's max capacity inside and around the outside is 24,000 people! Yes please!

So we went thinking that we were going to just go see a huge mosque with a little greek flavor of blue and white, but alas, we were wrong. A very kind tour guide invited our families to rise and get dressed, not in what we were wearing, but in religious blue robes and shrouds that were used by the Muslim faith. So we arrived very American, and became very Muslim in a moments notice. It was 95 degrees - so hot!

After dressing we were escorted around the Mosque grounds, given instructions on all the blue mosaic work that lines the mosque walls. Our guide took the time to teach us about some of the symbolism of the mosque, and the unique aspect of religious practices on the grounds, similar in some ways to how we would revere our own temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We walked around the outer walls of the mosque in our graduation-like robes until we were able to enter into the center of the mosque, bringing into view the large blue center dome that towers in the center court. It was here we could visualize each of the minarets in all their glory. Interestingly, as I have come to see in so many religious locations in the world, there existed pathways that only men could take, and locations that only women would take, which our guide informed us helped keep women away in order to ensure men don't get distracted from their relationship with God. Now Heathers smoking hot, so I get the distraction part, but come on - she only helps me get closer to Him.

Within the center is the main prayer hall. The carpet has these lines in parallel manner that indicate your locations for prayer. We were also shown a copy of the Quran.  Our guide taught us about a few of the teachings in the Quran and the direction in which they read the symbols.

Parallel lines in the carpet in the main prayer hall to indicate your location for prayer

After learning a little about the Quran we basked in the beautiful stain glass windows. It was here we could see the world's largest dome in all of its splendor, carefully decorated with the most beautiful of mosaic art. 

After touring the inside we were shown the cornerstone that was placed by the Sultan of Selangor. Check this name out: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Almarhum.  At last we were shown what the marriage room was like, to include a kneeling altar where couples are married. Not as pretty as a sealing room, but a shadow of true principles.

The wedding room in the Mosque

-Kevin