The History of Al Azhar Mosque: Formerly Known as the Kebayoran Baru Grand Mosque

The Al Azhar Grand Mosque in the Kebayoran Baru area, South Jakarta, is one of the most famous mosques in the capital city.

In addition to being a place of worship, this mosque is also known as a centre for modern Islamic education, having spawned many renowned educational institutions.

The mosque, which is now known as the Al Azhar Grand Mosque, was founded by the Islamic Pesantren Foundation or YPI.

Quoting the official website of YPI Al Azhar, the construction of the mosque began on 19 November 1953 on a plot of land owned by the foundation, covering an area of 43,755 square metres.

After undergoing a construction process that lasted several years, the mosque was completed in 1958.

The name ‘Al Azhar’ was given in 1960 by Mahmoud Syaltout during a visit to Jakarta.

During his visit to the mosque, Syaltout, who at that time served as Rector of Al Azhar University in Egypt, gave a public lecture to the mosque congregation.

On that occasion, he also gave the name ‘Al Azhar’ to the Kebayoran Baru Grand Mosque.

In 1962, the mosque began to hold various youth activities, such as the Pramuka Gugus Depan and the Al Azhar Islamic Education (PIA) in the afternoons.

Development accelerated after the end of the Old Order era and the birth of the New Order. This situation opened up more space for the development of Islamic schools.

In 1967, the Al Azhar Grand Mosque began to establish formal educational institutions. The first educational institution to be established was the Al Azhar Islamic Kindergarten.

After that, the Al Azhar Islamic Elementary School, Al Azhar Islamic Junior High School, Al Azhar Islamic Senior High School were also established, eventually leading to the establishment of the Al Azhar University of Indonesia.