 Palembang Grand Mosque is one of the inheritances of the Palembang
Sultanate. This mosque is known as the center of Palembang city. It
was built from 1738 to 1748 by Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin I, also known as
Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin Jaya Wikramo. Some say it was the largest
mosque in Indonesia at that time.
When it was first built, it
covered a land area of 1,080 square meters (about 0.26 acres) with a
capacity of 1,200 persons. It was then expanded by Sayid Umar bin
Muhammad Assegaf Altoha and Sayid Achmad bin Syech Sahab under the
leadership of Prince Nataagama Karta Mangala Mustafa Ibnu Raden
Kamaluddin.
From 1819 to 1821, a renovation was made by the Dutch
colonial government. After that, further expansions were made in 1893,
1916, 1950s, 1970s, and lastly in 1990s. During an expansion in
1966-1969 by the Grand Mosque Foundation, its second floor was built
covering a land area of 5,520 square meters with a capacity of 7,750
persons. During renovation and development in 1970s by Pertamina,
towers were constructed. The original Chinese style tower was
maintained as it is now. This mosque is very typical of Palembang
tradition. Most of its timbers have Palembang typical carvings called
Lekeur.
At present, the original building of this mosque is
located in the middle of a new building, officially inaugurated by
Indonesia's fifth president, Megawati Soekarnoputri. Since it is
surrounded by the Musi River and its streams, this mosque is located as
if it is in the center of the city.
Getting There
Palembang
is the entry point of South Sumatra province. Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin
II International Airport at Tanjung Api-Api Street is the primary entry
way to the provice, and is accessible from Malaysia, Singapore, China,
and Thailand. The distance between the airport and mosque is about 6
km. You can go to this historical building by a taxi or rented car from
the airport.
In the city center, there are nine types of public
transportation including seven city buses from various destinations that
can take you to Ampera.
Getting Around
You can walk around to explore this great mosque, and visitors will find it unique in every corner of the building.
To Do
If
you are a Muslim, don't miss the chance to pray here, while reading
Asmaul Husna (99 names of Allah) written on the mosque ceilings. If you
want to know more about this mosque, you can go to its library for
free.
To Stay
This
building is located in the City Center making it easy to find hotels
nearby. You can find star-rated or ordinary hotels along Kapten A
Rivai, Sudirman, R Sukamto, Veteran, and POM IX Streets.
To Eat
Since
it is located in the City Center, you won’t find any difficulty finding
local foods here. Not far from the Palembang Grand Mosque, you can
enjoy Palembang traditional foods like empek-empek panggang and kerupuk
(crackers) for Rp 1,500 to Rp 22,200 per piece, depending where you
eat. There is also a food stall selling es belimbing (star fruit ice).
It is the only food stall that sells es belimbing.
To Buy
Near
the Palembang Grand Mosque, you will find two markets seeling various
types of food and souvenirs including fruits and Songket (woven
fabrics). These markets are called Pasar 16 Ilir and Pasar 35 Ilir.
About two kilometers from there, you could find a Songket center and 50
meters from there, you could find a Lekeur (carving) center.
Tips
This
mosque is a suitable site for religious and cultural tours because it
reminds us of God Almighty and the cultural diversity of Palembang.
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