The regal mosque of Pakualaman Palace

Wed, March 25, 2020 / 10:39 am

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A cyclist passes Pakualaman Grand Mosque in Gunungketur, Pakualaman, Yogyakarta. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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The mosque’s wall is decorated with Arabic and Javanese writings. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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A woman walks inside the mosque complex. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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Elementary school students perform dzuhur prayer at Pakualaman Grand Mosque. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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A drum is located at the mosque’s antechamber. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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The emblem of Pakualaman principality decorates the mosque’s archway. JP/Boy T Harjanto
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Students walk along Kauman village’s alley, located near Pakualaman Grand Mosque. JP/Boy T Harjanto

Boy T Harjanto

The Javanese royal atmosphere is palpable as we step into Pakualaman Grand Mosque in Gunungketur, Pakualaman, Yogyakarta.

The mosque’s white archway is decorated with the gold emblem of Pakualaman, a principality within the Yogyakarta Sultanate.

Behind the archway, a wall shows an inscription in Arabic and Javanese languages: terus luhur terusto raharjo (the straight path to prosperity).

Located on the western side of Pakualaman Palace, the mosque was built in 1850 during the reign of Sri Paku Alam II, who ruled Pakualaman between 1829 and 1858.

The mosque building consists of a prayer room, antechamber and terrace. There is a dedicated space for the king in the front row of the prayer room called ma’surah. The space has an elevated floor and is embellished with wooden carvings of flower and Arabic writings.

The mosque’s east entrance provides an inscription in Arabic and Javanese languages on the history of the mosque and its numerous renovations throughout the decades. [yps]