When an Old Dutch Building Was Converted into a Mosque by Nasution
In the heart of Menteng, Central Jakarta, stands a mosque with a building form distinctly different from typical mosques.
The mosque is Masjid Cut Meutia, located at Jalan Cut Meutia Number 1, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
At first glance, the building appears like an old structure left behind from the Dutch colonial period. This is not surprising, as the building was not originally designed as a mosque but rather as a company office during the colonial era.
According to the Meutia Mosque Foundation website, the building that is now Masjid Cut Meutia was first constructed in 1912. At that time, the building served as the office of an architectural bureau and development firm owned by a Dutch company called N.V. De Bauploeg.
As one of the colonial-era heritage buildings in the Menteng area, the architecture of this building still maintains classical European style.
Over time, the function of this building changed several times. During the Dutch colonial period, the building was used as a post office and as the office of the Dutch Railway Authority.
When Japan occupied Indonesia during the Japanese Occupation period, this building was also used as the office of the Japanese Navy Kempetai.
After Indonesia’s independence, the building’s function changed again. The building was used as the office of the Central Jakarta Mayor, the Regional Water Supply Company office, a post office, and the Jakarta Housing Authority office.
Interestingly, the building also served as the office of the Temporary People’s Consultative Assembly (MPRS). During that period, the institution was led by Abdul Haris Nasution, more commonly known as General AH Nasution.
He proposed that the building be utilised by the local community as a place of worship for Muslims. His reasoning was that at that time, the Kebun Sirih area and its surroundings still lacked mosques.
However, the process of changing the building’s function did not happen instantly. Before it truly became a mosque, Nasution first formed a youth mosque organisation in 1984 to manage religious activities and prepare for mosque management in the future.
It was only three years later that the building officially changed its function to become a mosque.
This change was formalised through a Decree of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Governor Number 5184/1987 dated 18 August 1987. At that time, the position of DKI Jakarta Governor was held by R. Soeprapto, who led the capital city during the 1982–1987 period.
From that point on, the historic building became known as Masjid Cut Meutia and has been used as a place of worship for Muslims to the present day.