Indonesia has the biggest population of Muslim with the estimate of 85% of total Indonesian people. With such a huge number, they absolutely need not only one mosque, but a lot of mosques to serve their God. Nearly a million number of mosques have been built within the Indonesian archipelago, from Nangroe Aceh Darussalam to Papua. The design and architecture may be influenced by various culture, from the local culture to the Middle Eastern and European. We list down eight most beautifully designed mosques in Indonesia:
Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, Banca Aceh, Nangroe Aceh Darussalam
We start with the farthest point in Western Indonesia, Aceh. Aceh has a well-known mosque that survived the 2004 Tsunami disaster, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque. It was built in 1612 by Sultan Iskandar Muda, Aceh’s leader during the era.
The architect of the mosque was G. Bruins. The design he chose was the Mughal revival style, which was reflected in the grand domes and minarets. As a site that has witnessed a lot of historical events in Aceh, this mosque has lured many tourists from various places. This mosque is claimed to be one of the most beautiful mosques in Indonesia because of its attractive craft and Turkish-style fountain.
An-Nur Grand Mosque, Pekanbaru, Riau
Next on our list is the An-Nur Grand Mosque in Riau. The construction of this mosque finished in 1968 (it took only five years to build the mosque). This mosque can accommodate up to four thousand worshippers.
The mosque has a unique combination of Melayu, Turkish, Arabic and Indian design. At a glance, the mosque resembles the Taj Mahal of India.
Dian Al-Mahri Mosque, Depok, West Java
Java Island is rich of beautiful mosques. One of them is the Dian Al-Mahri Mosque, which is popular for its gold dome. The mosque was built by Hajjah Dian Djuriah Maimun Al-Rasyid, an entrepreneur from Banten.
The area covered by this mosque is around 50 hectares. The mosque can approximately accommodate 20,000 worshippers. The gold thickness of 2-3 millimeters coats one main dome and four smaller domes. Six hexagonal minarets with a gray granite were specially exported from Italy to beautify the mosque.
Rahmatan lil Alamiin (Al-Zaytun) Mosque, Indramayu, West Java
The landmass of this mosque’s complex is around 6 hectares. The mosque can accommodate 100.000 worshippers, what a number!
Designed by Dr. Abdussalam Rasyidi Panji Gumilang and built at the heart of Al-Zaytun College area, the architecture of the mosque exudes a combination of traditional and contemporary values. A seven-story mosque is not very common in Indonesia, which makes this mosque quite a breakthrough.
Surabaya Grand Mosque, Surabaya, East Java
Surabaya has a national-scale mosque, the Mosque of Al Akbar, or also known as the Surabaya Grand Mosque. The construction finished in 2000 and was inaugurated by the President at that time: KH. Abdurrahman Wahid.
The design of the mosque was beautified with the leaf pattern at its domes, and the combination of blue and dark green colours gives a peaceful and fresh feeling.
Islamic Center Mosque, Samarinda, East Kalimantan
It is the second biggest mosque in Indonesia and even in South East Asia after the Istiqlal Mosque. The main building covers 43,500 m2. This great mosque is located on the riverside of Mahakam, one of the biggest rivers in Kalimantan.
The mosque has seven minarets, and the highest minaret is of 99 meters high. The highest minaret represents the 99 good names of Allah, Asmaul Husna. The architecture of the minaret was inspired by the Nabawi Mosque in Madinah and Haghia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Al Markaz Al Islami Mosque, Makassar
The construction of this mosque finished in 1996. The design itself was inspired by Masjidil Haram Mosque in Mecca and Nabawi Mosque in Madinah.
The local culture of South Sulawesi is also reflected in the design of the mosque’s roof, which has the shape of square pyramid, a typical Bugis House.
Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta
Last but not least, the Istiqlal Mosque completes our list of eight most beautifully designed mosques in Indonesia. The construction of this mosque was initiated by Ir. Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia. The mosque was officially opened to the public in February 1978. It was designed to accommodate more than 200,000 worshippers.
According to many people, the structure of the domes and minarets is much more modern and influenced by the Arabic style.
