teradesa.com The Demak Mosque is one of the most famous mosques in Indonesia because it has historical and religious value. In the Dynamics of Islam in the Archipelago by Ahmad Zuhdi, et al. it is explained that the Demak Mosque is the oldest and first mosque in Java. The mosque, located in Demak City, Central Java, was built during the reign of Raden Patah in the 15th century. Although this mosque is hundreds of years old, the beauty and majesty of the building is still very visible today.
History of Demak Mosque Construction
Quoting from the book Sejarah Islam Nusantara by Rizem Aizid, based on traditional stories that developed in the community, the Demak Mosque was built during the reign of Raden Patah by Wali Songo in one night. The construction of this mosque began in 1460 AD on the orders of Raden Patah, the first king of the Demak Sultanate.
Although the timing of the completion of the construction is difficult to accept logic, all historical records tell the same story. This is a miracle and uniqueness for the Demak Mosque which was only built in one night. However, if it is related to the magic of the ancient people, especially the saints, the construction of a mosque that only takes one night can indeed happen.
Fairuz Sabiq in the book Sunan Kalijaga and the Myth of the Great Mosque of Demak explains that in historical records, mosques became places that had an important role in the spread and development of Islam in Java. The Demak Mosque was originally built to meet the needs of the Muslim community in Demak, which at that time was still limited in finding places of worship.
The construction of the mosque at that time served as a place for the spread of Islam, a gathering place for scholars, and as a gathering place for the community. Therefore, mosque construction always pays attention to strategic locations, beautiful architecture, and the Qibla direction is determined according to religious guidelines.
In the process of its construction, the Demak Mosque was designed by an architect who is an expert in the field of Islamic architecture. The mosque building is characterized by Javanese architecture, such as the shape of the towering roof and beautiful carvings on the roof and walls of the mosque. Although built in a different era, the Demak Mosque building is very similar to old mosques in the Middle East, such as the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Nabawi Mosque in Madinah.
The location of the Demak mosque around the square and the palace is a manifestation of the gathering of scholars, people and leaders. Meanwhile, the architecture of the mosque is a manifestation of the unification of religion with culture and as a public attraction. The layout of the Demak Mosque was later followed by other great mosques under the auspices of Islamic sultanates or kingdoms in Java. Not only that, the architecture of the Great Mosque of Demak was also used as a reference for subsequent mosques until the 17th century.
The Uniqueness of the Demak Mosque
The Demak Mosque has several uniqueness that makes it a popular historical tourist attraction. One of these uniquenesses lies in the architecture of the building which is very beautiful and stunning.
Still in the same source, the architecture of the Demak Mosque is in the form of joglo construction in the main building using an odd number of multi-storey shingle roofs in the shape of a tajug.
In the book Sejarah Wali Songo by Zulham Farobi, it is revealed that it turns out that the three-tiered roof model in the Demak mosque means that a believer needs to tread three important levels in his religion, namely faith, Islam and ihsan.
In addition, the mosque also has a very beautiful wooden pulpit and is one of the oldest in Indonesia. This wooden pulpit is made of teak wood and has very fine and beautiful carved ornaments.
The Demak Mosque was also the center of Islamic civilization in Indonesia in its day. Therefore, many people came to this mosque to deepen their religious knowledge and learn from the scholars there. Inside the mosque there are also tombs of respected religious figures, such as Sunan Kalijaga and Sunan Muria, so people often come to visit for pilgrimage.
That is the history of the Demak Mosque which was built since the reign of Raden Patah. Hopefully it can be an insight for detikers who read or want to visit the Demak Mosque.
