The oldest place of worship for Muslims in Malang~
Hi! It's been quite a while since I last wrote a blog post. Honestly, I often open Hive on my phone to read other people’s blog posts, but I can’t really interact or socialize the way I’d like unless I access it from my laptop, which is something that feels increasingly like a hassle these days, though I still reluctant to invest a new one lol.
Nevermind, in this post I want to share a place I visited during my solo trip to Malang a while back. Let’s explore it with me!
It’s called Jami’ Great Mosque located on Merdeka St., Malang. It sits in a very strategic spot in the city center, right on the west side of Malang town square. Because of the location, this mosque often serves as a stopover for travelers as well as a destination for religious tourism.
I mean, just look! We basically can see the mosque from the other side of the town square park. I tried to capture it with the fountain in the middle of the park, even though my phone camera couldn’t make it look good😂
Jami’ Great Mosque was built in 1890 and it blends Javanese and Arabic architecture styles. Featuring a square shape, a steel structure, and a tajug tumpang dua roof (a two-tiered roof style), the original building has been preserved to this day. As the oldest place of worship for Muslims in Malang City, the mosque can accommodate up to 4,000 worshippers.
I hope the photo below can conveys just how magnificent the architecture of this grand mosque is. The influence of Arab architecture is clearly visible in the dome-like shape at the top of the tower and the arched construction of open sections, particularly the doors and windows.
At a quick glance, certain parts of the mosque almost look like a castle, don't they? Little details blend with a color palette of dark green, white, and sage green really add to its beauty. The Arabic letter and the name of the mosque written in gold, complete the finishing touch of the building so beautifully.
Now, let’s take a look at what interior architecture offered for us! I headed straight for the section of the mosque designated for female worshippers. This is the first thing you’ll see, the wooden pillars create an atmosphere quite distinct from the exterior design, don't they?
Framed by grand, imposing doorways, this is where we can see the Javanese architecture style truly comes. Even the ceilings are crafted from wood, lending a sense of warmth to the space. It said that the structure of this mosque is supported by four main sokoguru (central pillars) made of teak, along with twenty additional columns that mirror the design of the four main ones.
When pray prayer time arrived, we moved slightly closer to the main area; while the design is similar, the ceiling is much higher, featuring a chandelier at its center. The Javanese architectural influence is visible in the tajug style of the roof on the older section of the building. Tajug is a traditional roof form resembling a pyramid or a square-based pyramid, culminating in a single peak at the top.
There are several other vintage decoraative elements such as a standing clock in the corner and lights, add a distinctive touch to the interior design.
Last but not least, let’s appreciate this mini bookshelf attach to the wall; it is beautifully designed to holds a collection of Qurans.
That's it for now. Thank you for reading!
