Masjid Abdul Gafoor

This guide to Masjid Abdul Gafoor in Singapore follows Shaik Abdul Gafoor bin Shaik Hyder, a colonial-era law clerk who became trustee of a small mosque endowment on Dunlop Street in 1881 and spent decades building shophouses to fund something permanent. Construction finally began in 1907, and you'll hear about the ornate sunburst carved above the entrance, a detail that stops even hurried walkers on the street below. Look up and start counting the names radiating from its center.