Istiqlal Mosque
Encyclopedia
Istiqlal Mosque, or Masjid Istiqlal, (Independence Mosque) in Jakarta
, Indonesia
is the largest mosque
in Southeast Asia
in terms of capacity to accommodate people and building structure. This national mosque of Indonesia was built to commemorate Indonesian independence, as nation's gratitude for Islam's blessings; the independence of Indonesia. Therefore the national mosque of Indonesia was named "Istiqlal", an Arabic word for "Independence".
1945-1949, followed by the acknowledgement of the independence Indonesia
from The Netherlands
in 1949, there was a growing idea to build a national mosque for this new republic, befitting for a country with the largest Muslim
population in the world. The idea of constructing a grand Indonesian national mosque was launched by KH. Wahid Hasyim
, Indonesia's first minister for religions affairs, and Anwar Cokroaminoto, later appointed as the chairman of the Masjid Istiqlal Foundation. The committee for the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque, led by Anwar Cokroaminoto, was founded in 1953. Anwar proposed the idea of a national mosque to Indonesian President Sukarno
, who welcomed the idea and later helped to supervise the construction of the mosque. In 1954, the committee appointed Sukarno technical chief supervisor.
There is several places proposed as the location of Indonesian national mosque; Mohammad Hatta
, Indonesian vice president suggested that the mosque should be built on Thamrin avenue, on location where today stood Hotel Indonesia
. Hatta argued that a mosque should be located near residential area and surrounded by Muslim communities. At that times the location is surrounded by Menteng residential area and traditional kampungs around Tanah Abang and Setiabudi area (today transformed into Thamrin-Sudirman business area). However Sukarno insisted that a national mosque should be located around the most important square of the nation, near the Merdeka Palace. This is in accordance to traditional Javanese culture that kraton (king's palace) and masjid agung (grand mosque) should be located around alun-alun
(main Javanese city square), which means it must located near Merdeka square
. Sukarno also insisted that the national mosque should be built near Jakarta Cathedral
and Immanuel Church
, to symbolize religious harmony and tolerance as promoted in Pancasila, Indonesian national philosophy. It was later decided that the national mosque was going to be build in Wilhelmina park right in front of the Jakarta Cathedral. To make way for this grand mosque, the Citadel Prins Frederick built in 1837 was demolished.
Sukarno actively followed the planning and construction of the mosque, including acting as the chairman of the jury for the mosque design competition held in 1955. The design submitted by Frederich Silaban, a Christian architect, with the theme: "Ketuhanan" (Indonesian: Divinity) was chosen as the winner. The foundation stone was laid by Sukarno on 24 August 1961 and the construction took 17 years. Indonesian president Suharto inaugurated the Indonesian national mosque on 22 February 1978. It is still the largest mosque in the region: more than 120,000 people can congregate at the mosque at the same time.
There are seven gates to enter the mosque, each named after Al-Asmaul-Husna, the names of God in Islam. The number seven represent Seven Heavens in Islamic cosmology. The wudu
(ablution) fountains located on ground floor, while the main prayer hall and main courtyard located on elevated first floor. The building is consist of two connected rectangular structures; the main structure and the smaller secondary structure. The smaller one served as main gate as well as stairs and prayer spaces. The rectangular main prayer hall building is covered by a 45 meter diameter central spherical dome, the number "45" symbolize the year of Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945. The main dome is adorned with stainless steel ornamental pinnacle that took form of a crescent and star, the symbol of Islam. The smaller secondary dome is also adorned with stainless steel pinnacle with Arabic calligraphy of Allah.
The dome is supported by twelve round columns and the prayer hall is surrounded by rectangular piers carrying four levels of balcony. Twelve columns represent the birthday of prophet Muhammad
in 12th Rabi' al-awwal
. The four levels of balcony and one main floor makes the main building of Istiqlal consists of five floors, the number "5" represent the Five Pillars of Islam
while it also represent Pancasila, the five principles philosophical foundation of the Indonesian nationhood. Staircases at the corners of the building give access to all floors. The main hall is reached through an entrance covered by a dome 10 meters in diameter. The interior design is minimalist, simple and clean cut, with minimal adornment of stainless steel geometric ornaments. The 12 columns are covered with stainless steel. On the main wall on qibla
there is a mihrab
and minbar
in the center. On the main wall, there is a large metalwork of Arabic calligraphy spelling the name of Allah
on the right side and Muhammad
on the left side, and also the calligraphy of Surah Thaha 14th verse in the center. The metalworks, stainless steel covers and ornaments were imported from Germany. Originally, just like National Monument nearby, the white marbles were planned to be imported from Italy. However to cut cost and to support local marble industry, later decided that the marbles would be taken from Tulungagung
marble quarries in East Java
instead.
The main structure is directly connected to the arcades which run around the large courtyard. The arcades connected the main building with a single minaret
in southern corner. Unlike many Arabic, Persian, Turkish or Indian Islamic mosque architecture that employ multiple minarets, Istiqlal mosque only have one minaret to symbolize the divine oneness of God. The minaret is 66.66 metres tall, the numbers is to symbolize 6,666 verses, the traditional perception on the numbers of verses in Al Quran. The 30 pillars of the minaret symbolize the 30 juz' of Al Quran. On southern side near the minaret there is also a large bedug (large wooden drum made of cow skin), unknown in Middle East, Muslim in Indonesia also uses drum next to adhan
to signify the Islamic call to prayer. The mosque offices, function hall, and madrasah
located on ground floor. The mosque also provides facilities for social and cultural activities, including lectures, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, education, bazaars and programmes for women, young people and children.
On the garden surrounding the mosque, on the southwestern corner there is a large pool and a grand fountain that bursting water 45 meters high. The fountain only operates on Fridays during Friday congregational salah or during Islamic holidays such as Eid ul-Fitr
and Eid ul-Adha
. The river Ciliwung
flow crossed the mosque complex along eastern side of the mosque.
Some Muslims in Indonesia
said Istiqlal's dome
and minaret
structure was too modern and too Arabic in style. They regarded the architecture as being out of harmony with the Islamic culture and architecture in Indonesia
. In response, former president Suharto began an initiative to construct more mosques of the Java
nese triple-roofed design.
and his wife visited Istiqal Mosque in November 2010, about 20 foreign visitors came to see the mosque everyday. They mostly come from Europe. The foreign dignitaries that had visited Istiqlal mosque are; Bill Clinton
President of United States in 1994, President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Libya Muammar Gaddafi
, Prince Charles of United Kingdom, Li Yuanchao
the vice chairman of Communist Party of China
, President of Chile Sebastian Pinera
, Heinz Fischer
the President of Austria
, and Jens Stoltenberg
the Prime Minister of Norway
.
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
is the largest mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
in terms of capacity to accommodate people and building structure. This national mosque of Indonesia was built to commemorate Indonesian independence, as nation's gratitude for Islam's blessings; the independence of Indonesia. Therefore the national mosque of Indonesia was named "Istiqlal", an Arabic word for "Independence".
History
After the Indonesian National RevolutionIndonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
1945-1949, followed by the acknowledgement of the independence Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
from The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1949, there was a growing idea to build a national mosque for this new republic, befitting for a country with the largest Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
population in the world. The idea of constructing a grand Indonesian national mosque was launched by KH. Wahid Hasyim
Wahid Hasyim
Abdul Wahid Hasyim was the first Minister of Religious Affairs in the government of President Sukarno of Indonesia, a post he held in 1945, and from 1949 to 1952....
, Indonesia's first minister for religions affairs, and Anwar Cokroaminoto, later appointed as the chairman of the Masjid Istiqlal Foundation. The committee for the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque, led by Anwar Cokroaminoto, was founded in 1953. Anwar proposed the idea of a national mosque to Indonesian President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
, who welcomed the idea and later helped to supervise the construction of the mosque. In 1954, the committee appointed Sukarno technical chief supervisor.
There is several places proposed as the location of Indonesian national mosque; Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta
was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies . He was Indonesia's first vice president, later also serving as the country's Prime Minister. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of...
, Indonesian vice president suggested that the mosque should be built on Thamrin avenue, on location where today stood Hotel Indonesia
Hotel Indonesia
Hotel Indonesia - Kempinski, commonly abbreviated as HI, is one of the oldest and best known hotels in Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, it is one of the first 5-star hotels in the country. For many years, it has been the city's major landmark. Its fame is often linked to the country's...
. Hatta argued that a mosque should be located near residential area and surrounded by Muslim communities. At that times the location is surrounded by Menteng residential area and traditional kampungs around Tanah Abang and Setiabudi area (today transformed into Thamrin-Sudirman business area). However Sukarno insisted that a national mosque should be located around the most important square of the nation, near the Merdeka Palace. This is in accordance to traditional Javanese culture that kraton (king's palace) and masjid agung (grand mosque) should be located around alun-alun
Alun-alun
Alun-alun is a Javanese architectural term for the large central open lawn squares common to villages, towns and cities in Indonesia.Commonly, alun-alun in modern-day Indonesia refers only to the two large open squares of kraton...
(main Javanese city square), which means it must located near Merdeka square
Merdeka Square, Jakarta
Merdeka Square is a large square located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. The square is surrounded by important government buildings such as the Merdeka Palace, the Supreme Court and various governmental ministries. At its center stands the National Monument...
. Sukarno also insisted that the national mosque should be built near Jakarta Cathedral
Jakarta Cathedral
Jakarta Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo...
and Immanuel Church
Immanuel Church
Immanuel Church is a historic church at 2nd and Chestnut Street in La Grange, Tennessee.It was built in 1843 and added to the National Register in 1972....
, to symbolize religious harmony and tolerance as promoted in Pancasila, Indonesian national philosophy. It was later decided that the national mosque was going to be build in Wilhelmina park right in front of the Jakarta Cathedral. To make way for this grand mosque, the Citadel Prins Frederick built in 1837 was demolished.
Sukarno actively followed the planning and construction of the mosque, including acting as the chairman of the jury for the mosque design competition held in 1955. The design submitted by Frederich Silaban, a Christian architect, with the theme: "Ketuhanan" (Indonesian: Divinity) was chosen as the winner. The foundation stone was laid by Sukarno on 24 August 1961 and the construction took 17 years. Indonesian president Suharto inaugurated the Indonesian national mosque on 22 February 1978. It is still the largest mosque in the region: more than 120,000 people can congregate at the mosque at the same time.
Structure
Wudu
Wuḍhu is the Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water often in preparation for formal prayers...
(ablution) fountains located on ground floor, while the main prayer hall and main courtyard located on elevated first floor. The building is consist of two connected rectangular structures; the main structure and the smaller secondary structure. The smaller one served as main gate as well as stairs and prayer spaces. The rectangular main prayer hall building is covered by a 45 meter diameter central spherical dome, the number "45" symbolize the year of Proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945. The main dome is adorned with stainless steel ornamental pinnacle that took form of a crescent and star, the symbol of Islam. The smaller secondary dome is also adorned with stainless steel pinnacle with Arabic calligraphy of Allah.
The dome is supported by twelve round columns and the prayer hall is surrounded by rectangular piers carrying four levels of balcony. Twelve columns represent the birthday of prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in 12th Rabi' al-awwal
Rabi' al-awwal
Rabi' al-awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims around the world celebrate Mawlid - the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believe the exact date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth of this month, whereas Shi'a Muslims believe...
. The four levels of balcony and one main floor makes the main building of Istiqlal consists of five floors, the number "5" represent the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
while it also represent Pancasila, the five principles philosophical foundation of the Indonesian nationhood. Staircases at the corners of the building give access to all floors. The main hall is reached through an entrance covered by a dome 10 meters in diameter. The interior design is minimalist, simple and clean cut, with minimal adornment of stainless steel geometric ornaments. The 12 columns are covered with stainless steel. On the main wall on qibla
Qibla
The Qiblah , also transliterated as Qibla, Kiblah or Kibla, is the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays during salah...
there is a mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
and minbar
Minbar
A minbar is a pulpit in the mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons or in the Hussainia where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation...
in the center. On the main wall, there is a large metalwork of Arabic calligraphy spelling the name of Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
on the right side and Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
on the left side, and also the calligraphy of Surah Thaha 14th verse in the center. The metalworks, stainless steel covers and ornaments were imported from Germany. Originally, just like National Monument nearby, the white marbles were planned to be imported from Italy. However to cut cost and to support local marble industry, later decided that the marbles would be taken from Tulungagung
Tulungagung
Tulungagung is a regency of East Java, Indonesia.-Etymology:Previously, Tulungagung was only a small area located surrounding a location where the center of the town is situated now. That area was named Tulungagung, because it provided a great water source - in Old Javanese language, tulung means...
marble quarries in East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
instead.
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
in southern corner. Unlike many Arabic, Persian, Turkish or Indian Islamic mosque architecture that employ multiple minarets, Istiqlal mosque only have one minaret to symbolize the divine oneness of God. The minaret is 66.66 metres tall, the numbers is to symbolize 6,666 verses, the traditional perception on the numbers of verses in Al Quran. The 30 pillars of the minaret symbolize the 30 juz' of Al Quran. On southern side near the minaret there is also a large bedug (large wooden drum made of cow skin), unknown in Middle East, Muslim in Indonesia also uses drum next to adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
to signify the Islamic call to prayer. The mosque offices, function hall, and madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
located on ground floor. The mosque also provides facilities for social and cultural activities, including lectures, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, education, bazaars and programmes for women, young people and children.
On the garden surrounding the mosque, on the southwestern corner there is a large pool and a grand fountain that bursting water 45 meters high. The fountain only operates on Fridays during Friday congregational salah or during Islamic holidays such as Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
and Eid ul-Adha
Eid ul-Adha
Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep— to sacrifice...
. The river Ciliwung
Ciliwung River
Ciliwung is a river that passes through Jakarta, Indonesia. The river flows from its source near Puncak on the highlands of West Java to the Jakarta Bay....
flow crossed the mosque complex along eastern side of the mosque.
Some Muslims in Indonesia
Islam in Indonesia
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia, which also has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim as of 2009....
said Istiqlal's dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
and minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
structure was too modern and too Arabic in style. They regarded the architecture as being out of harmony with the Islamic culture and architecture in Indonesia
Indonesian architecture
The Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonisers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques....
. In response, former president Suharto began an initiative to construct more mosques of the Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese triple-roofed design.
Visitors
After president Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his wife visited Istiqal Mosque in November 2010, about 20 foreign visitors came to see the mosque everyday. They mostly come from Europe. The foreign dignitaries that had visited Istiqlal mosque are; Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
President of United States in 1994, President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Libya Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, Prince Charles of United Kingdom, Li Yuanchao
Li Yuanchao
Li Yuanchao is a prominent politician in the People's Republic of China, serving on the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and as the head of its Organization Department. From 2002-2007 Li served as the Communist Party of China Secretary of Jiangsu, the first-in-charge of an area of...
the vice chairman of Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, President of Chile Sebastian Pinera
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
, Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer GColIH is the President of Austria. He took office on 8 July 2004 and was re-elected for a second and last term on 25 April 2010. Before he took office, Fischer was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria...
the President of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
the Prime Minister of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
See also
- Timeline of Islamic history
- Islamic architectureIslamic architectureIslamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
- Islamic artIslamic artIslamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
- List of mosques in Asia
- List of largest mosques
- Islam in IndonesiaIslam in IndonesiaIslam is the dominant religion in Indonesia, which also has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim as of 2009....
- Indonesian architectureIndonesian architectureThe Architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonisers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques....