Sejarah masjid Raya baiturrahman Banda Aceh

This is my trip to visit the great historical place in Banda Aceh...

** If there is a place that you must visit while visiting Banda Aceh, it is Baiturrahman Great Mosque. This is a historical site that has existed since the heyday of the Aceh Sultanate and has survived to this day. This mosque has gone through various things, ranging from the Dutch colonial burning tragedy in 1873 to the tsunami hit in late 2004. **

Baiturrahman Great Mosque was first built in the era of the Aceh Sultanate. The roof of the mosque is made in accordance with the characteristics of mosques in Indonesia at that time, four-story pyramid roof.

There are two versions of history regarding the construction history of this mosque. Some sources say this mosque was founded in 1292 AD by Sultan Alauddin Johan Mahmudsyah. Meanwhile, another source said that the mosque was founded by Sultan Iskandar Muda in 1612 AD

In its journey, this mosque was burned down by the Dutch during the attack on Koetaradja (Banda Aceh) on April 10, 1873. The collapse of the mosque building triggered the eruption of the Acehnese community. They struggle to defend the mosque until the end of blood. During the battle, the Dutch lost their commander, Major General Johan Harmen Rudolf Köhler on April 14, 1873.

The mosque building was then rebuilt by the Dutch on the orders of General Van Der Heijden. The rebuilding of the mosque was part of an effort to ease the resistance of the Acehnese to the Dutch occupation. The Majid Raya Baiturrahman redevelopment process took place in 1879-1881 AD. The new building architecture was made by de Bruchi who adapted the Moghul (Indian) style.

The mosque, which is located in the center of Banda Aceh, was then expanded several times. The first occurred in 1936. For the efforts of Governor General A. PH. Van Aken, carried out the construction of two domes on the right and left sides of the mosque. Furthermore, in 1958-1965, the mosque building was expanded again. In this second extension, two domes and two towers on the west side (mihrab) were added. These five domes are a symbol of the five elements in Pancasila.

In 1992, construction was carried out with the addition of two domes and five towers. In addition, expansion of the mosque's yard has been carried out so that the total area of ​​the mosque is currently 16,070 square meters.

When a 21-meter-high tsunami hit the coast of Banda Aceh on December 26, 2004, the mosque included buildings that survived - despite damage in several parts of the mosque.

Efforts to renovate post-tsunami have cost Rp20 billion. The funds come from international assistance, including the Saudi Charity Campaign. The renovation process was completed on January 15, 2008. At present, Baiturrahman Great Mosque is the center of the development of Islamic activities for the people of Banda Aceh.