Mosque architecture in Indonesia

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Mosque architecture in Indonesia refers to the architectural traditions of mosques built in the archipelago of

While many of the earliest Islamic structures in Java and almost all of them in Sumatra did not survive,^[1] primarily due to the effects of climate on decayable building materials, the permanent structure was not considered a priority for Muslim prayer, as any clean and open space could accommodate communal prayers.^[2]

Most of the early Islamic mosques can still be found in Java, and the architectural style follows the existing building tradition in Java. The characteristic of Javanese Islamic architecture includes multi-tiered roofs, ceremonial gateways, four central posts that support a soaring pyramidal roof, and a variety of decorative elements such as elaborate clay finials for roof peaks. The multi-tiered roofs are derived from the tiered meru roof found in Balinese temple. Some early Javanese Islamic architectures resemble a Majapahit era candi or gates.^[1]

The oldest surviving Indonesian mosques are quite large and in most cases were closely associated with palaces.

Traditionally, mosque establishment in Indonesia began with the opening or purchase of land for the mosque. Next is the first construction of the mosque, often using traditional material such as bamboo and thatched roof. The mosque will eventually be made into a permanent mosque and later gradually extended to accommodate the increasing population.^{[citation needed]}

• Some examples of the pre-colonial mosques in Indonesia
• 
  Tuo Kayu Jao Mosque in West Sumatra (16th century).
• 
  Menara Kudus Mosque in Central Java was built in the 16th century following the Hindu-Buddhist style of the Majapahit era.
• 
  Gate of Panembahan Senapati Mosque in Kotagede, Yogyakarta.
• 
  Sultan of Ternate Mosque in North Maluku (17th century).

Colonial period

• Some examples of the colonial era mosques in Indonesia
• 
  Manonjaya Great Mosque in Tasikmalaya, circa 1890
• 
  Great Mosque of Banten, circa 1857–1872
• 
  Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Aceh, circa 1910–1930
• 
  Grand Mosque of Medan, completed in 1909.

Post-independence

After the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, many older mosques built in traditional style were renovated and small domes were added to their square hipped roofs. Probably it was built in imitation of similar modifications made to the main mosque in the regional capital nearby.^[5]

Since the 1970s, the appropriateness of traditional buildings has been politically acknowledged, and some layered hipped forms have been reinstated. President Suharto contributed to this trend during the 1980s by instigating the Amal Bakti Muslim Pancasila Foundation which subsidized the erection of small mosques in less prosperous communities. The standardized design of these mosques includes three hipped roofs above a square prayer hall, reminiscent of the Great Mosque of Demak.^[5]

Today, mosque architecture in Indonesia breaks apart from the multi-tiered traditions of traditional Javanese mosques. Most mosques in Indonesia today follows the Near Eastern influence e.g.

• Some examples of the post-independence era mosques in Indonesia
• 
  Al-Azhar Great Mosque (1958) in Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta is influenced by the Near East more strongly than the vernacular style.
• 
  Great Mosque of Central Java, completed in 2006, shows an eclectic mixture of Javanese, European, and Middle Eastern architectural traditions.^[7]
• 
  Al-Akbar Mosque with half-egg-shaped dome, Surabaya, completed in 2000.
• 
  Grand Mosque of West Sumatra, completed in 2014

By region

Java

The earliest mosques in Java were built in the mid-15th century onwards, although there is an earlier reference to mosques in the 14th-century Majapahit capital.^{[citation needed]}

Most of the earliest mosques in Java typically include multi-tiered roofs. A serambi (roofed porch) attached to the front of the mosque. The minimum number of tiers is two whilst the maximum is five. The top of the roof is decorated with a clay decoration called the mustoko or memolo. Sometimes the roof tiers represent a division into separate floors each of which is used for a different function: the lower floor for prayer, middle floor for study, and top floor for the call to prayer.

Inside the mosque there is a mihrab in the qibla wall and a wooden minbar. The mihrab niche is made of brick and is highly decorated with deep wood-carving derived from the pre-Islamic art of the area.^[8] The enclosure walls are fairly low and decorated with inset bowls and plates from China, Vietnam, and elsewhere. In the middle of the east side, there is a monumental gate. Some mosques, such as the mosque in Yogyakarta, are further enclosed by a moat.^[8]

Other characteristics of these early mosques are a peristyle, courtyard, and gates.^[9]

Sumatra

Similar to the mosques of Java, Sumatran mosques share the attributes of a Javanese mosque. Some anthropologists consider none of the earliest Islamic structures in Sumatra survived.^[1]

In Aceh, the royal mosque was a center of armed resistance to the Dutch in the 1870s and therefore was destroyed in battle. Early prints show it as a structure with wide-hipped roofs similar to those of a mosque still standing in the 17th-century citadel of Sultan Iskandar Muda.^{[citation needed]}

In West Sumatra, mosques, known as surau, conform the local style with the similar three- or five-tiered roofs as the Javanese mosque, but with the characteristic Minangkabau 'horned' roof profile. The roof is supported on ranks of concentric columns, often focusing on towering central support that reaches the apex of the building. Some mosques are built on islands in artificial ponds. Traditional Minangkabau woodcarvings may be implemented in the facade.^[5]

Many mosques in Pekanbaru and Riau adopt three- or five-tiered roofs similar to West Sumatra, but with a lack of prominent 'horned' roof profile. This gives the appearance of a Javanese-style mosque but with a taller profile.^{[citation needed]}

Kalimantan

The kingdom of

Mosques in Sulawesi follow the architectural style of Javanese mosque with multiple (usually three) tiered roofs.^[citation needed]

Maluku and Papua

Islam came to Maluku in the late 15th century via Java, with the strongest impact was felt in the spice islands of Ternate and Tidore. Features in the oldest mosque in the islands, such as the Sultan's Mosque of Ternate, imitate features in the oldest Javanese mosques.^[5] However, mosques in Maluku lack a peristyle, terrace, courtyard, and gate, but retain the multi-tiered roof and centralized ground plan of Javanese mosques.^[1] The region of Papua contains few significant mosques, as the region is largely Christian.

See also

• List of mosques in Indonesia
• Islam in Indonesia

Footnotes