The Great Mosgue of West Sumatera

The Great Mosque of West Sumatra is the largest mosque in West Sumatra, located facing Khatib Sulaiman Street, North Padang Subdistrict, Padang City. The mosque is still in the construction phase since the first stone laying on December 21, 2007. The construction is done in stages because of budget constraints from the province.

Construction of the mosque consists of three floors. The main hall which is used as a prayer room is located on the second floor, connected to an open terrace that slopes down the road. The rectangular square-shaped mosque plan in all four of its jaws, showing the shape of the stretch of cloth when the four tribes of Quraysh in Mecca share the honor of removing the Stone of Hajar Aswad by holding each corner of the cloth. The shape of the pointed angle at the same time representing the roof bergonjong on Minangkabau traditional house gadang house.

The Great Mosque of West Sumatra features modern architecture that is not identical with the dome. The roof of the building depicts the shape of a stretch of cloth that is used to carry the Stone of Hajar Aswad. When the four tribes of Quraysh in Mecca disputed over who was entitled to move the stone of Hadji Aswad to the place after the Ka'ba renovation, the Prophet Muhammad decided to lay the Stone of Hajar Aswad on a piece of cloth so that it could be carried together by the representatives of each tribe by holding each corner fabric.

photos by infosumbar