The Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, commensurate with its location in the largest Muslim country in the world (in terms of population).
The mosque was built to fit then-President Sukarno’s grand vision of a strong, multi-religious state with government at its center: the Istiqlal Mosque is located opposite Jakarta’s Catholic Cathedral, and both places of worship are located at the side of the Merdeka square, home to the Monas (Independence Monument) that towers over both.
Massive scale of the Istiqlal Mosque
Visitors to the Istiqlal Mosque will be impressed by the magnitude of the mosque. The mosque covers an area of nine hectares; The structure has five levels, with a massive prayer hall in the center surmounted by a large dome supported by twelve pillars.
The main structure is flanked by plazas on the south and east sides that can accommodate more worshipers. The mosque is lined with more than one hundred thousand square meters of marble cladding brought over from the Tulungagung regency in East Java.
Surprisingly (given its location in a tropical country), the Istiqlal Mosque remains cool even at noon; The building’s high ceilings, open hallways, and open courtyards effectively dissipate heat from the building.
A study was carried out to measure the heat inside the mosque: “During the Friday prayer hour with full occupancy in the prayer hall,” the study concludes, “the thermal condition inside was still within the comfort zone of a little heat ».
Istiqlal Mosque Prayer Hall and Other Parts
The faithful should remove their shoes and wash in the ablution area before entering the prayer room. There are several ablution areas on the ground floor, equipped with special pipes that allow more than 600 worshipers to wash at the same time.
The prayer hall in the main building is positively cavernous – non-Muslim visitors can observe it from one of the upper floors. The floor area is estimated to be over 6,000 square yards. The floor itself is covered with a red carpet donated by Saudi Arabia.
The main hall has capacity for 16,000 worshipers. The five floors surrounding the prayer hall can accommodate 60,000 more. When the mosque is not fully packed, the upper floors serve as class areas for religious instruction, or as resting areas for visiting pilgrims.
The dome rests directly over the main prayer hall, supported by twelve concrete and steel pillars. The dome is 140 feet in diameter and is estimated to weigh around 86 tons; its interior is clad in stainless steel and its edge is adorned with verses from the Koran, executed with graceful Arabic calligraphy.
The courtyards on the south and east sides of the mosque have a total area of about 35,000 square yards and provide additional space for some 40,000 more worshipers, valuable space particularly during the high-traffic days of Ramadan.
The mosque’s minaret is visible from the courtyards, with the National Monument, or Monas, complementing it in the distance. This pointed spire nearly 300 feet tall, towering over courtyards and dotted with speakers to better convey the muezzin’s call to prayer.
Social functions of the Istiqlal Mosque
The mosque is far from simply a place to pray. The Istiqlal Mosque is also home to a number of institutions that provide social services to poor Indonesians and serves as a home away from home for visiting pilgrims during the Ramadan season.
The Istiqlal Mosque is a popular destination for pilgrims who follow the tradition called i’tikaf , a kind of vigil where people pray, listen to sermons and recite the Quran. During this time, the Istiqlal Mosque serves more than 3,000 meals each night to the faithful who break their fast in the mosque. Another 1,000 meals are served before sunrise during the last ten days of Ramadan, the climax of the fasting season that brings the number of worshipers in Istiqlal to its annual peak.
The pilgrims sleep in the corridors when they do not pray; their numbers rose to about 3,000 in the few days before Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.
On normal days, the terraces and the area surrounding the mosque host bazaars, conferences, and other events.
History of the Istiqlal Mosque
Then-President Sukarno ordered the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque, inspired by his Prime Minister for Religious Affairs, Wahid Hasyim. Sukarno chose the site of an old Dutch fortress near the city center. Its location next to an existing Christian church was a happy accident; Sukarno wanted to show the world that religions could harmoniously coexist in his new country.
The designer of the mosque was not Muslim, but Christian: Frederick Silaban, an architect from Sumatra who had no experience designing mosques before, but who nevertheless won a contest to decide the design of the mosque. Silaban’s design, while beautiful, has been criticized for not reflecting the rich Indonesian design traditions.
Construction took place between 1961 and 1967, but the mosque was only officially opened after Sukarno’s overthrow. His successor as President of Indonesia, Suharto, opened the doors of the mosque in 1978.
The mosque has not escaped sectarian violence; In 1999, a bomb exploded in the basement of the Istiqlal Mosque, injuring three. The bombing was attributed to the Jemaah Islamiyah rebels and provoked retaliation from some communities who attacked Christian churches in return.
Get to the Istiqlal Mosque
The main entrance to the Istiqlal Mosque is across the street from the cathedral, at Jalan Kathedral. Taxis are easy to find in Jakarta and are the most practical way for tourists to travel in the city – choose the blue taxis that will take you from your hotel to the mosque and back.
Once you enter, check with the visitor center just inside the entrance; The administration will be happy to provide you with a tour guide to escort you through the building. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside the main prayer hall, but they will take you upstairs to tour the upper corridors and terraces that flank the main building.