Are you planning to head to Indonesia and spend time visiting attractions in cities like Solo? There are many things to do in Solo, Indonesia while holidaying here including sightseeing. A centrally located hotel such as Alila Solo is an option worth considering before setting out on your adventures to such sites as Grand Mosque Kraton Surakarta. This is an old mosque which is also known as Masjid Agung Kraton Surakarta, which is a prominent landmark in Solo. The famous mosque bears a traditional Javanese resemblance with its extraordinary design.
The mosque has a spacious interior which is quite airy as well. This mosque was built in 1763 by Sunan Pakubuwono III. After completion in 1968 it was opened to the public as a jami mosque used for Friday prayers and as a royal mosque for special royal ceremonies and rituals. It also was utilised for special judiciary matters bearing religious importance. In 1858, a fence was built around the mosque complex during the ruling period of Sunan Pakubuwono VIII. Again yet another Mughal design based minaret was erected in 1928 to add protection to the great mosque. Surakarta Grand Mosque is situated within a massive 19,180 square metre complex that is encircled by a strong wall.
The mosque features a couple of buildings: main prayer hall and front hall also known as serambi; the former is connected with the serambi by seven doors. The main prayer hall’s roof is supported by four main posts. The roof is designed according to a pyramidal tajug style which is dedicated to highlight the mosque as a sacred building based on Javanese architectural rules. The three tiered beautiful roof is topped and adorned by a mustaka or a rooftop ornament adding royal glamour to it.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.
