Masjid Raya Baiturrahman

The Baiturrahman mosque stands at the centre of Banda Aceh and is the building the city organises itself around. The present structure was begun by the Dutch in 1879, finished in 1881 and expanded repeatedly, growing from a single black dome to seven, with white walls, arched arcades and slender minarets. The wide marble forecourt was added much later and is now shaded by tall retractable umbrellas modelled on those at Medina, which open in the morning and fold at dusk. The mosque came through the 2004 tsunami largely intact and sheltered people in the days that followed, a fact every guide mentions. In the evening the courtyard fills with families and the lit domes reflect in the shallow pools.

History

The original grand mosque was built in 1612 in the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda, with a multi-tiered thatched roof, though some say an earlier one dates from 1292; it caught fire in April 1873 during the First Aceh Expedition, when flares landed on the thatch. The Dutch rebuilt it from 1879 and completed it on 27 December 1881 with one dome and one minaret, domes and minarets were added in 1935, 1958 and 1982, and it came through the 2004 earthquake and tsunami with minor damage and served as a shelter for displaced people (Wikipedia, Baiturrahman Grand Mosque).

Highlights

• The black domes - seven domes over white arcades, best seen from the courtyard.
• The umbrella court - tall folding sunshades over the marble forecourt.
• The reflecting pools - shallow basins that mirror the facade after dark.
• Evening crowds - families and vendors filling the square after sunset.

When to go

Aceh's heaviest rain falls from around October to January and the rest of the year is drier. Visit outside prayer times and avoid Friday around midday entirely. Late afternoon into evening gives the best light and the liveliest hour, with the umbrellas still open and the domes lit once it is dark.

Practical notes

Dress rules here are stricter than elsewhere in Indonesia and are enforced at the door: women are lent a robe and headscarf, and shoulders and knees stay covered. Non-Muslims are usually welcome in the courtyard, but entry to the prayer hall depends on the hour and on the staff on duty. The marble is blinding at midday and burns bare feet. Alcohol is not sold in the province.

Nearby

The tsunami museum and the boat carried inland in 2004 are a short ride away; ferries to Pulau Weh leave from the port.

Key facts