Istiqlal Mosque
Istiqlal Mosque
- The Istiqlal Mosque is often regarded as a major symbol of religious tolerance on the island of Java, it’s the sheer size of the mosque is extremely impressive. This large Musjid is located on Jalan Tamam Wijaka Kusuma, at the north-east corner of Merdeka Square (Central Jakarta).
- The building, which took around 17 years to complete (1961-1978), was built during the administration of President Sukarno, who personally supervised the development of this major project. In fact, the idea that the country needed a grand national Musjid came from Islamic leader KH Wahid Hasyim and was supported by Cokroaminoto, the Minister of Religious Affairs. The word “Istiqlal”, which comes from Arabic, means “independence” and is a reminder of the Indonesian struggle for freedom. In fact, it was intended to be built as a memorial of colonial liberation.
- Jakarta’s Istiqlal Grand Mosque is in a very central and easily accessible location. To get there, you can get off at Gambir train station, and from there take a motorbike taxi (“ojek”) or walk there.
- The Istiqlal Mosque is the largest Musjid in south-east Asia, as it can hold up to 120,000 people.
