Istiqlal Mosque

1. The Architect is Non-Muslim

This magnificent mosque with modern architecture was apparently designed by a Protestant Christian named Frederich Silaban. The man who was born in North Sumatra was determined as the winner of the Istiqlal Mosque design competition (in 1955) at which time the jury was chaired by President Ir. Sukarno with members of architects and scholars. As the winner, Frederich Silaban is entitled to a gold medal weighing 75 grams and Rp. 25,000.

2. Istiqlal Means Freedom

Istiqlal is taken from Arabic which means freedom. This mosque was built to honor the Muslim fighters who died in the struggle for independence as well as to illustrate gratitude to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for the abundance of grace in the form of national independence.

3. Built Coinciding with the Prophet's Birthday

The first piling was carried out by President Ir. Soekarno on August 24, 1961 to coincide with the commemoration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. However, the deteriorating political situation at that time caused development to stall. Finally, after seventeen years, the construction was declared complete. On February 22, 1978 President Soeharto inaugurated its use.

4. The Main Dome is Large

The mosque which can accommodate worshipers of up to 200,000 people has a large main dome. The dome is composed of a stainless steel frame. The diameter of the dome is 45 meters, the number 45 symbolizes 1945, the year of the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia. This dome is supported by 12 large pillars arranged in a circle. The number 12 symbolizes the birth date of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam, namely 12 Rabiul Awwal, also symbolizes the number of months in a year.

5. Only Have One Tower

The mosque which consists of five floors - symbolizing the pillars of Islam - and one ground floor has only one minaret, this is to symbolize the oneness of Allah. The marble-covered minaret is 5 meters in diameter and 66.66 meters (6,666 cm) high, representing the number of verses in the Qur'an. The peak that crowns the tower is made of a steel frame as high as 30 meters symbolizing the 30 chapters of the Qur'an. So the total height of the tower is 96.66 meters.

6. Seven Doors Named Asmaul Husna

There are seven gates to enter the Istiqlal Mosque. Each door is named after Asmaul Husna. Of these seven doors, three doors namely Al Fattah, As Salam and Ar Rozzaq are the main doors. Next is Al Quddus, Al Malik, Al Ghaffar, and Ar Rahman. The number seven represents the seven layers of the sky in the Islamic cosmology of the universe, as well as the seven days of the week.

7. Giant Drum

The Istiqlal Mosque has a giant drum that has been named the largest in the archipelago. It is 3 meters long, weighs 2.30 tons, the front is 2 meters in diameter, the back is 1.71 meters, is made of red meranti wood (shorea wood) from a 300 year old tree, taken from a forest in East Kalimantan. This drum used to be beaten every Friday before the Friday prayer call to prayer was sounded. Later the sound of the drum was recorded and then played through loudspeakers before the call to prayer was sounded.