JERTIH: Rising above emerald-green paddy fields in rural Terengganu, the Eight-Dome Mosque has become one of the state’s most unexpected tourist attractions.
Its colourful onion-shaped domes, inspired by Moscow’s iconic St Basil’s Cathedral, have transformed the mosque in Kampung Lapan Kotak into a favourite backdrop for photographs, drawing more than 70,000 visitors a year.
Although located about 8km from Bandar Jertih, the mosque welcomes around 200 visitors on weekdays, with numbers climbing to about 500 on weekends and during school holidays.
Many arrive to perform their prayers before taking in sweeping views of the colourful domes set against blue skies and surrounding rice fields.
“The colourful domes create the impression of being overseas, with panoramic paddy fields stretching behind the mosque,” committee chairman Ismail Jaapar told Bernama.
He said social media has played a huge role in putting the village on the map, with visitors regularly sharing photographs of the mosque online.
Interest has grown even further since the pandemic, with foreign tourists – particularly from China – discovering the attraction through posts on the social media platform Rednote.
To help visitors capture the best views, the mosque has built an observation loft overlooking all eight domes and the surrounding countryside.
The building also houses food and souvenir stalls, creating new business opportunities for local residents.
“The mosque has not only put our village of about 700 residents on the map, but has also strengthened ties within the local community and become a source of pride for the people here,” said Ismail.
Built in 2017 at a cost of RM4.5 million through public donations and funding support, the mosque can accommodate about 500 worshippers.
Besides its main prayer hall, it also includes a community development centre with a multipurpose hall, meeting room and two guest houses.
Alan Thong was among recent visitors who travelled from Penang with friends after first seeing the mosque on social media.
“We had only seen it in videos before, so we decided to stop here before continuing our journey,” he said.
Eight-Dome Mosque
1315, Jalan Lapan Kotak,
22000 Jerteh, Terengganu
