Ubudiah

Ubudiah Mosque, or Masjid Ubudiah, is a royal mosque in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia. It was commissioned by Sultan Idris Murshid Shah in the early 20th century as a symbol of royal prestige and Islamic heritage. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1917. The project was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, a British architect known for his work on several mosques and public buildings in the Federated Malay States, and it was executed in a Moorish Revival style that blends Ottoman and Mughal influences with local Malay architectural traditions. The mosque is noted for its whitewashed exterior and a gilded dome, with slender minarets rising behind the main prayer hall.

Situated near Kuala Kangsar’s royal precinct, Ubudiah Mosque quickly became one of Perak’s most recognizable landmarks and is frequently cited as one of Malaysia’s most beautiful mosques. Although progress was intermittently hampered by malaria outbreaks and the disruptions of World War I, the building was completed and has remained an active place of worship, serving the Muslim community in Perak.

Today, Ubudiah Mosque functions as a working place of worship and as a prominent cultural heritage site. It attracts tourists and researchers interested in Malaysian royal history and Islamic architecture, and it stands as a symbol of the Perak royal family’s early 20th-century patronage of religious architecture. The site contributes to Kuala Kangsar’s status as a historic royal town in Malaysia.