Historical Luar Batang mosque to be renovated soon

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The historical Luar Batang mosque, located in the coastal area of North Jakarta, is to be renovated according to a consultant appointed by the city administration.

The renovation project, which will commence later this week, will cost an estimated Rp 3 billion (US$352,000), said project supervisor Achmad Migdad.

"The renovation includes raising the land on which the mosque stands because the compound always becomes inundated at high tide. At the worst times, floodwater can reach one meter high," he told The Jakarta Post.

The mosque stands on a 6,000-square-meter plot of land situated near the Old Fish Market, Sunda Kelapa harbor and the Maritime Museum in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. The mosque is one of the city's heritage and historical sites.

The mosque was built in 1739 by Habib Husin bin Abubakar Alaydrus. Habib Husin died in 1756 and is buried in the mosque compound. Thousands of Muslim pilgrims, some from abroad, visit the mosque and the grave every year.

"Peak season is on Maulid holiday (the birth of Prophet Muhammad)," said Sapar, one of the mosque's caretakers. The holiday is expect to fall in mid-April.

The renovation, according to Achmad, is the second phase of a total of six that will be carried out until 2005. He said the tomb housing Habib Husin's grave, the pilgrims' room and women's pray room would all be restored.

"We expect to complete the second phase of renovation in April, the peak of the pilgrim season."

Renovations to modernize the mosque were carried out in 1991 and took six years to complete.

The City Culture and Museum Agency later complained about the mosque's modern design.

"The agency took a close look at the renovation plans this time," said Achmad, "we will keep the design close to the original."

He added that the funds for the renovation came from concerned donors. "However, we have yet to calculate the amount of funds needed for the next phases of the overall renovation."

The following phases, he said, are the renovation of the mosque's front porch, a pilgrims' guest house, the corridors and the house where the family of an elderly cleric, Habib Abdullah, lives. Four towers will also be erected at the four corners of the compound.

Achmad said the renovation would not deter pilgrims or nearby residents from visiting the mosque and the grave.