Masjid Gedhe Kauman in Yogyakarta Holds First Tarawih Prayers as Congregants Overflow

Masjid Gedhe Kauman, located in the Kraton district of Yogyakarta, held its first tarawih prayers on Tuesday evening. The mosque’s board of trustees followed the Muhammadiyah central leadership’s determination that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah falls on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

Congregants had already filled the mosque’s verandah since after maghrib prayers. As isha time approached, the number of worshippers continued to grow.

The main prayer hall was packed to capacity, with all male congregants occupying the main hall. Female congregants were split between the main hall and the mosque’s verandah.

“We follow Muhammadiyah, which adheres to the KHGT — the Unified Global Hijri Calendar — meaning one day corresponds to one date. It is not the case that here it is already 1 Ramadan whilst elsewhere 1 Ramadan is still tomorrow,” said Azman Latif, Chairman of the Masjid Gedhe Kauman Board of Trustees, speaking at the mosque on Tuesday.

“This year’s fasting period has indeed met the requirements because the crescent moon has appeared in America, in Alaska, and the hilal has met the criteria for visibility as it has reached 5 degrees of hilal altitude and 8 degrees of elongation,” he added.

Azman explained that Muhammadiyah’s early determination had been used by the mosque’s board of trustees well in advance to arrange the schedule of tarawih prayer imams for the entire month.