Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia XIV

I promised you that beautiful mosques exist in Kuala Lumpur. Here is Jamek Mosque (or Masjid Jamek to the locals). To quote my Rough Guide to Malaysia, "There's an intimacy here that isn't obvious at the modern, much larger national mosque to the south, and the grounds, bordered by palms, are a pleasant place to sit and rest."

So that we don't all get caught in the "Islam is bad" story, remind yourself that Notre Dame in Paris or Westminter Abbey in London can hardly be called intimate. There is a real intimidation factor to these buildings -- like the national mosque pictured earlier.

This mosque is special for a few reasons. It was designed and built by a British architect who previously served in India, so he brought a different type of design to Malaysia. One thing difficult to capture in photographs (given the lighting and my equipment) is the pink hue of the bricks. The mosque was built at the junction of two rivers that are the very reason for this city's name: Kuala Lumpur. Transliterated into English, it means "muddy confluence". (Click on confluence if you aren't study for your SATs at the moment to remind yourself that it means a joining of two rivers.) The grounds are subtle, but lush and welcoming. You might call it jungle landscaping. Finally, the mosque prayer area is open to the elements, and raised only slightly above the surrounding walkway. All of this makes it feel more like a neighborhood place where locals might gather to pray, rest, and socialise. Not surprisingly, local Muslims do just that.