Sultan Sharafuddin arrived at the oldest mosque in the capital city at 12.45pm and was welcomed by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Also present were Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom and Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Tengku Adnan said in a statement that it was the desire of the Sultan to rename the mosque, which was built in 1909 and had become an iconic building in the federal capital, because it was on a site that was originally part of Selangor.
He also said it was an initiative to preserve one of the nation’s treasures that had developed into a national tourism icon.
He said 108-year-old mosque underwent renovation in 2012 to restore its authentic look.
“Prayer spaces were enlarged by 4,000 square feet and the mosque can now accommodate more than 1,000 people for prayer at a time.
“Giant canopies, similar to the high-tech giant umbrellas installed at the Nabawī Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, were also added,” he said.