These Two Unique Mosques in Indonesia have a breathtaking Architecture!

Indonesian architect Ridwan Kamil has made two unique Muslim houses of worship, known as Masjids or Mosques. These are Masjid Al-Irsyad and Masjid Jami’e Darussalam. Both of them are not like a typical mosque with a dome and that's what makes them so different!

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The architect’s masterpiece of Masjid Al-Irsyad has a special concept. Al-Irsyad has an open-air kiblah with a view of nature, as a way to remember God’s creation. The rounded big stone with the word Allah on it in Arabic gives strong vibes on how God created the world. The interior design of the mosque is inspired by the 99 names of Allah (SWT) known as Asma ul husna. Thus, Kamil put 99 lights in the form of boxes. The holes all over the mosque have an artistic function. As the night approaches and the lights turn on, the Tawhid – La ilaha ilAllah, which means there is no God but Allah (SWT), appears on the wall by shining from outside. Hence, the local people of Indonesia called Masjid Al-Irsyad as the giant Arabic calligraphy building.

The square shape of the mosque is inspired by the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia whereas the circles on the outer part of the building are inspired by the concept of tawaf (walking around the Kaaba during pilgrimage).

Meanwhile, Masjid Jami’e Darussalam has a completely different concept. Many Indonesians say that the building looks like the typical Indonesian church, that is why Kamil’s idea was once rejected by the local, as it does not look like a typical mosque with a dome. But Kamil has a different opinion. For him, a dome is not very suitable for a place with tropical weather. In addition, he mentioned:

“A mosque is a place to worship Allah together by offering prayers in jamaah. The shape of the building depends on the imagination of a human being. Qur’an does not mention about the shape of the building. Thus, a dome is not identical to Islam. I experimented this with equilateral geometry theory.” 

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SubhanAllah! It makes one so happy to know how beautifully our places of worship, the masjids, are being constructed! These unique mosques are a must-visit to lovers of architecture and spirituality. Let others also know of this so that when any of them visits Indonesia, these sights are not to be missed at any cost!

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Source: Mvslim