Let’s step back in time to 1761. This is when Masjid Jami Angke was built. It stands as proof of Jakarta’s diverse past.
Masjid Jami Angke is officially known as Masjid Al-Anwar. You can find it in Tambora Jakarta. It is one of Jakarta’s oldest mosques. Denys Lombard called it one of the most elegant in the old town.
The history of Masjid Jami Angke shows Jakarta’s multiethnic roots. The area around the mosque was called Kampung Goesti. Balinese people led by Kapitan Goesti Ktut Badulu settled here. By the mid-1700s they converted from Hinduism to Islam.
Nyonya Tan and Syaikh Liong Tan were the mosque’s main supporters. They were Chinese converts to Islam from Batavia.
The mosque is near the Angke canal. Angke means blood and carcass in Hokkian. This is because the canal was near a slaughterhouse. The area is still known as Pejagalan meaning slaughterhouse.
Prince Syarif Hamid from Pontianak was captured by the Dutch in 1856. He died while held in Manggadua. They buried him in front of the Masjid Jami Angke in 1858. People from Pontianak visit his grave often. Many Chinese in this area are devout Muslims. Tombstones near the mosque have Chinese and Arabic writing. The oldest ones show Banten and Aceh origins.
Masjid Jami Angke has been restored several times. This happened in 1970 1985-1987 and 2016. The building is protected as a cultural heritage site.
Masjid Jami Angke is the only Jakarta mosque that has not changed since it was built. Its roof has two levels. This is a typical Javanese style for places of worship. The mosque’s design mixes Balinese Chinese and Dutch elements.
Balinese details are clear in the window shutters. The roof’s tips curve up like Balinese punggel. The roof’s bracketing follows Chinese styles. Some decorations on the roof look like a Chinese lotus. This is a symbol of Buddhist enlightenment. Dutch influences show in the main door and window designs.
The mosque is small at 15 x 15 meters. It sits on a 400 sqm piece of land. The mosque complex includes a cemetery.
Interestingly Masjid Jami Angke was founded by a wealthy Chinese woman. She married a Bantenese man. This symbolizes the joining of different cultures and religions. Each part of Masjid Jami Angke tells a story. It invites us to appreciate Indonesia’s diverse past.