teradesa.com Surakarta Great Mosque, formerly known as Masjid Ageng Keraton Hadiningrat, was built by Pakubuwono III around 1749.
Surakarta Great Mosque, formerly known as Masjid Ageng Keraton Hadiningrat, was built by Pakubuwono III around 1749. Located around the North Square of Surakarta Palace, precisely in the western part, this mosque has an important position in the spread of Islam in Solo.
The construction of this mosque is inseparable from the important role held by the king at that time. At that time, the king was not only the highest authority in the government, but also a religious broadcaster. In addition, the mosque’s location near the palace was inspired by the Great Mosque of Demak, which was also built near the palace and the palace square.
Standing on an area of almost 1 hectare, the main building of the mosque measuring 34.2 meters x 33.5 meters can accommodate around 2,000 worshipers. Throughout its journey, the mosque has gone through several additions and renovations.
The first building made was the main part of the mosque. The first addition was made by Pakubuwono IV, who provided a dome at the top of the mosque. Unlike domes in general which are Middle Eastern in style, the dome on this mosque is Javanese in style. Its shape resembles an earth nail.
The next addition was made by Pakubuwono X. Pakubuwono built a minaret around the mosque and a sundial to determine prayer time. The entrance to the mosque was also changed during Pakubuwono X’s time. The pasan-roofed Javanese gapuran-style door was replaced with a Middle Eastern style – consisting of three doors, with the center door being wider than the two flanking doors.
Meanwhile, Pakubuwono XIII built a pond surrounding the main building of the mosque. The construction of this pond was intended to ensure that everyone entering the mosque was clean. However, for various reasons, this pool is no longer used. In addition, Pakubuwono XIII also built a keputren room and a porch at the front.
The last addition was made by the Surakarta Government. Still in the mosque area, several buildings with different functions were added. There is a library, management office, and polyclinic.
In the past, the caretakers of this mosque were members of the palace court. Each administrator was required to first study at Madrasah Mam Ba’ul ‘Ulum – located between the mosque and Klewer Market. But now, only the head of the mosque’s management is a court servant – with the title Tafsir Anom. Meanwhile, Madrasah Mam Ba’ul ‘Ulum is managed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and is used as education for the general public.
Still around the mosque, to the north, there is a settlement called Kampung Gedung Selirang. This settlement was deliberately built for the residence of the mosque administrators.
Until now, Surakarta Great Mosque is still the center of Islamic tradition in Surakarta Palace. The mosque is still the venue for various rituals related to religion, such as sekaten and maulud nabi, where one of the events is the distribution of 1,000 serabi from the king to the people.
