The mosque is located in downtown Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is a symbol of religion, culture, spirit, strength, struggle and nationalism of the Acehnese people. This mosque is a Banda Aceh landmark and survived the Indian Ocean tsunami.
The original Grand Mosque was built in 1612 during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda. There are also those who say that the original Baiturrahman Grand Mosque was built earlier in 1292 by Sultan Alaidin Mahmudsyah. The original Royal Mosque features a multi-layered thatched roof which is a distinctive feature of Acehnese architecture.
When the Dutch East Indies Colonial attacked the Aceh Sultanate on April 10, 1873, the people of Aceh used the original Grand Mosque as a battle fort, and attacked the Royal Dutch troops from inside the mosque. Royal Dutch troops responded by firing flares at the thatched roof of the mosque, which set the mosque on fire. General Van Swieten also promised local leaders that he would rebuild the Grand Mosque and create a warm place for apologies. In 1879 the Dutch rebuilt the Baiturrahman Mosque as a gift and to reduce the anger of the Acehnese people. Construction began in 1879, when the first stone was laid by Tengku Qadhi Malikul Adil, who later became the first imam of the new Grand Mosque, and was completed on 27 December 1881 during the reign of the last Sultan of Aceh, Muhammad Daud Shah. Many Acehnese initially refused to worship at the new Baiturrahman Grand Mosque because it was built by the Dutch, who were originally their enemies. But now this mosque has become the pride of the Acehnese people.
At first, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque only had one dome and one minaret. New extra domes and minarets were added in 1935, 1958, and 1982. Today the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque has 7 domes and 8 minarets, including the tallest in Banda Aceh.
Baiturrahman Grand Mosque survived the Earthquake and Tsunami on December 26, 2004 which only received minor damage such as some cracked walls. One of the 35-meter towers also suffered a slight crack and became slightly tilted as a result of the earthquake. During the natural disaster, this mosque was used as a temporary shelter for displaced people and only reopened for worship after 2 weeks.
Sunnah.
