West Sumatra Grand Mosque with Minangkabau Design

RRI.CO.ID, Padang – West Sumatra Grand Mosque is a large mosque in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra. Covering an area of approximately 18,000 square meters, it is one of the largest mosques in Indonesia.

The mosque is also known as Sheikh Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabawi Grand Mosque. It is named after a 19th-century Minangkabau Islamic scholar who served as the Grand Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, now in Saudi Arabia.

The history of West Sumatra Grand Mosque began with the laying of its foundation stone on December 21, 2007, by Gamawan Fauzi, who was the governor of West Sumatra at the time. Construction was carried out in several stages but faced funding difficulties because it relied primarily on the West Sumatra provincial budget.

The mosque was officially inaugurated and opened to the public on February 7, 2014. Construction, however, continued until it was finally completed on January 4, 2019.

According to visitbeautifulwestsumatra.id, the mosque was designed by Rizal Muslimin, the winner of an international design competition for the mosque in 2007. The competition attracted 323 architects from various countries.

The mosque’s architecture generally follows Minangkabau architectural traditions, characterized by its distinctive gonjong roof forms, as well as Minangkabau carvings and Islamic calligraphy on the exterior walls. Its design also depicts the story of the placement of the Black Stone, or Hajar Aswad, at the Kaaba, symbolized by a cloth being carried by four representatives of different tribes at each corner.

The mosque consists of three main floors. The first floor contains ablution facilities and additional prayer space when the main prayer hall is full.

The second floor serves as the mosque’s main prayer hall, while the third floor can be used as an alternative prayer area or as a resting space when visitor numbers are low.

The prayer areas are covered with red carpets that serve as prayer rugs. The carpets were donated by the Turkish government and are known for their softness and comfort.

Outside the mosque is a landscaped area with expanses of green grass. The mosque also provides parking facilities for approximately 600 cars, making it accessible to visitors arriving by private vehicle.

A prominent feature of the mosque is its 85-meter-high minaret. Visitors can take a lift to a viewing area 44 meters above ground, offering views over the city of Padang.