UBUDIAH MOSQUE, KUALA KANGSAR – Renowned British architect Arthur Benison Hubback designed numerous buildings in Perak state, but this royal mosque’s Italian marble, brassy domes and four minarets make it arguably the most ostentatious.
PENANG STATE MOSQUE, GEORGETOWN – There’s a hint of sci-fi splendour to this 1970s modernist mosque, whose central dome is cradled by curving white pillars. The whimsical design is said to have been inspired by Niemeyer’s Cathedral of Brasilia.
MASJID SELAT, MELAKA – With its latticed archways and seaside setting, this ‘floating mosque’ (when the tide’s high) on man-made Melaka Island is Melaka’s most dramatic sight. Visit at sunset, when its white walls and stained glass windows appear to glow.
ZAHIR MOSQUE, ALORSETAR – Five domes representing the pillars of Islam crown Kedah’s state mosque, built in 1912. It’s one of the country’s oldest and loveliest mosques, with elegant archways and columns in stunningly regal Malay-Islamic style.