Masjid Raya Tawau is a prominent mosque located in Tawau, Sabah, and operates under the administration of the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sabah (Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department).

Designed in a modern vernacular architectural style, the two-storey mosque sits on the outskirts of Tawau town, surrounded by a cemetery, institutional buildings, and residential areas. This modular typology was widely adopted across Malaysia during the 1960s. A distinctive feature of this style is the use of multiple onion-shaped domes of varying sizes arranged around the mosque’s perimeter.

These domes serve both decorative and spatial purposes. They mark the four corners and the main entrance of the mosque. Made of metal and finished in a reflective gold tone, the domes are purely ornamental. The central, large onion-shaped dome stands out prominently, signifying the main prayer hall beneath it. Surrounding the building are tall, double-height arches along the perimeter walls, echoing the spacious, double-volume interior. From a distance, these features give the mosque a grand and towering presence.

Masjid Raya Tawau was constructed to replace the former Wilis Mosque that once stood on the same site, which had become too small to serve the growing local Muslim population. Although it may appear modest in scale when viewed from Jalan OKK Abu Bakar, the mosque is actually expansive and capable of accommodating a large number of worshippers from nearby areas.

The gleaming domes are strategically distributed across the flat roof, some perched atop pilasters and miniature minaret-like crenellations or turrets. A striking detached minaret has also been added to the design, reflecting strong Mughal influences.

The mosque’s symmetrical façade is characterized by horseshoe arches placed below triangular crenellations between vertical pilasters. A grand arch defines the entrance porch, leading into an open veranda that wraps around the central prayer hall.