Ramadan is finally upon us! ‘Tis the time of year to bring ourselves closer to God, prioritise our spiritual journeys and take a step back from materialistic values. Ramadan has always been my favourite time of year. It’s always been so festive in a heartwarming and wholesome kind of way. People tend to be kinder, sharing their food and drinks with each other—be them friends or strangers. The overall pace tends to be slower, allowing us to take in what is truly valuable and be intentional in what we do. It’s always a great chance to reconnect with ourselves and our Creator.
For me, this Ramadan means finding my way back to faith and God again. Without going into the detail, I’m a little bit ashamed to say that I’ve been somewhat lost in my relationship with my faith. This month brings such a holy atmosphere that I cannot ignore, and it got me feeling at ease in my spirituality again. One way I have been feeling more motivated to pray again is to tour architecturally unique mosques in Jakarta—inspired by this post from DKI Jakarta. The first stop is Masjid Babah Alun Desari in Cilandak Barat—located near my first ever office.
Ramadan is finally upon us! ‘Tis the time of year to bring ourselves closer to God, prioritise our spiritual journeys and take a step back from materialistic values. Ramadan has always been my favourite time of year. It’s always been so festive in a heartwarming and wholesome kind of way. People tend to be kinder, sharing their food and drinks with each other—be them friends or strangers. The overall pace tends to be slower, allowing us to take in what is truly valuable and be intentional in what we do. It’s always a great chance to reconnect with ourselves and our Creator.
For me, this Ramadan means finding my way back to faith and God again. Without going into the detail, I’m a little bit ashamed to say that I’ve been somewhat lost in my relationship with my faith. This month brings such a holy atmosphere that I cannot ignore, and it got me feeling at ease in my spirituality again. One way I have been feeling more motivated to pray again is to tour architecturally unique mosques in Jakarta—inspired by this post from DKI Jakarta. The first stop is Masjid Babah Alun Desari in Cilandak Barat—located near my first ever office.
The 1,000-Mosque Dream
A couple weekends ago, Agung and I decided to meet up at a mosque overlooking the Cilandak Toll Gate. We both wanted to pay the mosque a visit mostly due to its unique architecture. At first glance, this mosque seems to scream China through and through, as it is dominated by the colour red with accents of jade green and yellow here and there.
However, upon a closer look, there are some distinct Arabic influences too. The giant dome upon the main building, for instance, which becomes the telltale characteristic of a mosque. The interior of that dome is adorned with a symmetrical geometric pattern that is synonymous with Arabic artistic motifs, with the name of Allah (God) in the middle. Under the dome, the ceiling takes on an octagonal shape adorned with Chinese patterns that spell out the 99 names of Allah. The sight is simply breathtaking.
The mosque was built by Jusuf Hamka, a.k.a. Babah Alun, a tollway businessman who converted to Islam in 1981 and became the adopted son of Buya Hamka, a well-known Muslim scholar and politician in Indonesia. Babah Alun is known for his many, many philanthropic activities and he has declared his goal of building 1,000 mosques all over Indonesia, including this one.
Since he comes from a Chinese descent, it is no surprise that his mosques are all heavily influenced by Chinese architecture, giving them a unique look unlike most mosques we know. He also utilises his authority as the tollway businessman to often build his mosques close to a toll way. So far, there are already 3 mosques of his in the Jakarta area—this one is located right next to the Depok-Antasari tollway, while 2 others are squeezed in under the Tanjung Priok tollway and Ancol tollway.
A couple weekends ago, Agung and I decided to meet up at a mosque overlooking the Cilandak Toll Gate. We both wanted to pay the mosque a visit mostly due to its unique architecture. At first glance, this mosque seems to scream China through and through, as it is dominated by the colour red with accents of jade green and yellow here and there.
However, upon a closer look, there are some distinct Arabic influences too. The giant dome upon the main building, for instance, which becomes the telltale characteristic of a mosque. The interior of that dome is adorned with a symmetrical geometric pattern that is synonymous with Arabic artistic motifs, with the name of Allah (God) in the middle. Under the dome, the ceiling takes on an octagonal shape adorned with Chinese patterns that spell out the 99 names of Allah. The sight is simply breathtaking.
The mosque was built by Jusuf Hamka, a.k.a. Babah Alun, a tollway businessman who converted to Islam in 1981 and became the adopted son of Buya Hamka, a well-known Muslim scholar and politician in Indonesia. Babah Alun is known for his many, many philanthropic activities and he has declared his goal of building 1,000 mosques all over Indonesia, including this one.
Since he comes from a Chinese descent, it is no surprise that his mosques are all heavily influenced by Chinese architecture, giving them a unique look unlike most mosques we know. He also utilises his authority as the tollway businessman to often build his mosques close to a toll way. So far, there are already 3 mosques of his in the Jakarta area—this one is located right next to the Depok-Antasari tollway, while 2 others are squeezed in under the Tanjung Priok tollway and Ancol tollway.
The mosque itself is divided into three buildings: main building, north & south wings. The main building houses the two-storied prayer hall, where men and women alike can practice the salat (Islamic prayer). As per Arabic custom, there is a divider between the men’s and women’s section. I didn’t go to the second floor as it seems to be prohibited at the time of our visit, but I believe it is additional space for prayer as well—perhaps on big occasions like Eid or Friday prayer. The south wing of the mosque is where you’ll find the toilet as well as ablution rooms for both men and women. It looks very neat, sometimes with a place to sit for elderly visitors who want to practice ablution. On the north wing, there is a minimarket that sells all sorts of stuff, including food and drinks, called Podjok Halal (Halal Corner). It’s a lifesaver for our iftar that day.
Everywhere you look, it is easy to spot the Chinese visual elements in every corner. I love how the architecture mixes Chinese and Arabic geometric shapes to create harmony between the two artistic styles. Aside from the obvious majesty of the domed ceiling, the front door is also a favourite feature of mine. The circular doorway, adorned completely in Chinese visual elements give this magnificent feel as you enter the House of God, so to speak. I also appreciate the main prayer hall’s many windows, to create an optimal airflow and exudes that sense of openness—not only of the mosque itself, but to represent Islam as an originally peaceful and welcoming religion.
The mosque itself is divided into three buildings: main building, north & south wings. The main building houses the two-storied prayer hall, where men and women alike can practice the salat (Islamic prayer). As per Arabic custom, there is a divider between the men’s and women’s section. I didn’t go to the second floor as it seems to be prohibited at the time of our visit, but I believe it is additional space for prayer as well—perhaps on big occasions like Eid or Friday prayer. The south wing of the mosque is where you’ll find the toilet as well as ablution rooms for both men and women. It looks very neat, sometimes with a place to sit for elderly visitors who want to practice ablution. On the north wing, there is a minimarket that sells all sorts of stuff, including food and drinks, called Podjok Halal (Halal Corner). It’s a lifesaver for our iftar that day.
Everywhere you look, it is easy to spot the Chinese visual elements in every corner. I love how the architecture mixes Chinese and Arabic geometric shapes to create harmony between the two artistic styles. Aside from the obvious majesty of the domed ceiling, the front door is also a favourite feature of mine. The circular doorway, adorned completely in Chinese visual elements give this magnificent feel as you enter the House of God, so to speak. I also appreciate the main prayer hall’s many windows, to create an optimal airflow and exudes that sense of openness—not only of the mosque itself, but to represent Islam as an originally peaceful and welcoming religion.
Iftar at a Red Mosque
Truth be told, there is a sense of seclusion to this mosque as it is located right next to a tollway and not many people would stop by it intentionally—I think the two of us were the only ones. There were a few people around at the time of our visit, but they mostly seemed to be on the way to or back from somewhere.
Next to the mosque, there is the Jasa Marga office—the tollway construction company—and I believe this mosque mainly serves to become a place of prayer for their employees. Since we visited on a Sunday, the mosque was pretty much idle—so much so that their adzan (call to prayer) was far later than every other mosque in the area. There wasn’t even any iqamah (final call to prayer) before the mass prayer started.
That being said, a lot of people decided to make this a place for their iftar (ending of one’s fast at sunset). They were mostly families with little children. Most of us bought our iftar food at the minimarket next door. It was a pretty wholesome experience for Agung’s & my first iftar together.
Truth be told, there is a sense of seclusion to this mosque as it is located right next to a tollway and not many people would stop by it intentionally—I think the two of us were the only ones. There were a few people around at the time of our visit, but they mostly seemed to be on the way to or back from somewhere.
Next to the mosque, there is the Jasa Marga office—the tollway construction company—and I believe this mosque mainly serves to become a place of prayer for their employees. Since we visited on a Sunday, the mosque was pretty much idle—so much so that their adzan (call to prayer) was far later than every other mosque in the area. There wasn’t even any iqamah (final call to prayer) before the mass prayer started.
That being said, a lot of people decided to make this a place for their iftar (ending of one’s fast at sunset). They were mostly families with little children. Most of us bought our iftar food at the minimarket next door. It was a pretty wholesome experience for Agung’s & my first iftar together.
This is part one of two of our Ramadan Mosque Tour.
Stay tuned for more mosques we visit in Jakarta!
This is part one of two of our Ramadan Mosque Tour.
Stay tuned for more mosques we visit in Jakarta!