Let me introduce myself, my name is Ahmad Maulana, I come from Aceh, I am still in high school, my hobby is writing, I share stories and knowledge that I learned from my grandfather who always told me that Aceh is a country within a country, how great Aceh is, that the Dutch could not conquer, not even religion. territory alone cannot be taken by them. My family and I visited the mosque which is full of history and is the most beautiful mosque in Aceh. Previously, the mosque was shaken by an earthquake and was shaken by high waves. It had been standing for 25 years when the tsunami hit the Aceh region. Now the mosque is back in order and has become a destination for tourists visiting the Aceh area. There is some history about the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.
The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh has a long history and is full of struggle. This mosque was first built in 1612 by Sultan Iskandar Muda, but there are also those who say that this mosque was founded by Sultan Alauddin Mahmudsyah in 1292.¹ ²
In 1873, this mosque was burned by Dutch troops during an attack on Koetaradja (Banda Aceh). This event sparked resistance from the people of Aceh and led to the Battle of Banda Aceh.
After that, this mosque was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1879-1881, on the orders of General Van Der Heijden. The architecture of the new building was created by de Bruchi in the Moghul (Indian) style.
This mosque then underwent several expansions. In 1936, two domes were added to the right and left sides of the mosque by Governor General A. PH. Van Aken. In 1958-1965, two more domes and two minarets were added, symbolizing the five elements in Pancasila.
In 1992, construction was carried out with the addition of two domes and five towers. The mosque area was also expanded to 16,070 square meters.
Even though it was damaged during the tsunami on December 26 2004, this mosque still stands tall and is a symbol of the strength and struggle of the Acehnese people. Currently, the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is the center for the development of Islamic activities for the people of Banda Aceh.
The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque currently stands majestically with 7 domes and 8 minarets in Banda Aceh. This mosque has become the pride of the people of Banda Aceh and is a center for developing Islamic activities for the local community. This mosque has also become one of the popular religious tourism destinations in Indonesia.¹