BETA
What began as a simple single-storey brick structure envisioned by Cauder Mydin Merican, the then headman, or Kapitan, of the Indian Muslim community in 1801, has been added to and embelished over the centuries. It is believed that the 18-acre lot, now reduced to only eight acres (as rest was used for building roads and houses), was granted to the Muslims for religious use by Sir George Leith, then Lieutenant Governor of Penang in November 1801.
The name of mosque was taken from the Kapitan Kelings, people who were appointed leaders of the South Indian community by the British. The term 'keling' derived from the ancient Hindu kingdom on the Coromandel coast of South India. It was generally used to denote all those who came from there. As the Indians found it difficult to pronounce certain English words, the title "Captain" was somehow transformed into "Kapitan". From there, the Kapitan Kelings or Captains of the Kelings came about.
Visiting hours : 1pm to 5pm (Sat to Thurs) & 3pm to 5pm (Friday)
Admission: Free. Guided Tours run by the Islamic Propagation Society International are available at the Islamic Information Centre located at the ground floor of the minaret.
Dress code: Visitors are required to wear robes, which are available.
