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Istiqlal Mosque remains popular amid ongoing renovation
No fear of height: Workers carry out renovation work on Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta on Wednesday
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o fear of height: Workers carry out renovation work on Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. State-owned developer PT Waskita Karya is in charge of the renovation of the mosque, which is to be completed by 2020. The project includes the construction of parking buildings, interior as well as electrical and plumbing systems.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
Grand and iconic, Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta is to reveal its new facilities and revamped façade next year as renovations are now underway, even as worshippers still frequent the mosque with the disturbances caused by the construction work all around them.
The renovation project, the most extensive one since the mosque was opened in 1978, kicked off in May during Ramadan.
No closures were implemented, as visitors can still gather, pray and recite the Quran as usual. However, several entrance gates are closed because of the work, leaving only the main entrance open, the southwest Ar-Rahman Gate that has parking spaces available nearby.
During The Jakarta Post’s recent visit, the Ar-Rahman gate was crowded with a variety of visitors ranging from foreign tourists and schoolchildren to Muslims seeking to pray.
The main entrance to the mosque compound was blocked by multiple cranes and other pieces of heavy equipment operating in the area to expand the parking lot.
Construction workers were walking back and forth in the area carrying a variety of construction tools.
Some were hanging on the exterior wall of the mosque grinding away at the old marble tiles covering it. The results were apparent, with some previously brown-stained marble restored to white.
Rian Herdianto, 65, who has prayed in Istiqlal since 2012, admitted that the work disturbed him as he had to walk farther to get into the mosque to have wudhu (ablution) and to pray.
“Automatically you’re disturbed [when praying] because there’s construction, but it’s understandable; it is an open-air mosque after all,” said Rian.
He also looked forward to the completion as he learned the mosque would add more parking spaces and a park that would benefit visitors in the long term.
Another visitor, Egi Susanta, 57, who hails from Kalimantan, said he has prayed in the mosque every day since the fasting period in May.
“It is for a good cause to make the mosque better. If you believe in God and if you have a serene heart you will not be distracted by the disturbance [during prayer],” he said.
The renovation was initiated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo who ordered his subordinates to undertake an overall refurbishment of this Jakartan icon following his visit to the mosque with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May last year.
State-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya handles the project while state-owned engineering and management consultancy firm PT Virama Karya was tasked to be the project’s consultant.
Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the renovation was expected to be completed in March 2020 so that residents could use the mosque with its new facilities by Ramadan next year.
“We don’t only renovate the inside of the mosque but we make changes to the landscape as well so that Istiqlal Mosque would not only be the pride of Indonesian Muslims but of all Indonesians,” he said in a recent press statement.
The project, which is costing Rp 465 billion (US$32 million), includes increasing parking capacity, landscaping of the park to expand green spaces and renovating the plaza, toilets, ablution blocks, electrical system and plumbing. The work is to also improve the mosque’s marble exteriors, dome and minaret. A glossmeter is being used to measure the gloss level of the floors to make them cleaner and shinier.
Some changes were not agreed to by the Education and Culture Ministry, such as the renovation of the mihrab (a cubicle from where an imam leads mass prayers), since it is a historic part of the mosque, said Istiqlal spokesman Abu Khurairah Abdulsalam.
He expressed hope that the construction would go well and be completed on time.
“God willing, it will be completed in 2020. We want to make the mosque better, to be more accessible for the disabled [such as with ramps and lifts] and be more secure,” he told the Post.
Abu said concern over the age and poor maintenance of the mosque was high, citing an incident in the past when a marble tile fell and injured a member of the congregation.
“The renovation is 4 percent complete,” said Abu. “We want to have the mosque remain open to the public despite the ongoing construction.”
Located across from the Catholic Jakarta Cathedral, Istiqlal was opened in 1978 after a 17-year construction period and is designated a historic site as it is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. (tru)
