Singkawang Grand Mosque, The Multi Ethnic Harmony

Helloindonesia.id – The location of the mosque is about 200 meters from the Tri Darma Bumi Raya Vihara, the oldest temple in Singkawang. The mosque which stands tall in the middle of the residential area of ​​the Chinese community is like a reflection of religious harmony that has lasted for years. This is the Singkawang Grand Mosque, the mosque which is a symbol of multi-ethnic harmony in Singkawang.

Singkawang Grand Mosque is located on Jalan Merdeka, Singkawang, West Kalimantan. The architecture of this great mosque looks so majestic and beautiful. To enter the courtyard of this mosque, visitors must pass 15 steps. These stairs are located on the right, back and left side. To show the beautiful architecture of the Singkawang People’s Mosque, at night there are lights that illuminate the entire mosque area. The combination of green and white on the walls of the mosque becomes a blend of colors that makes the mosque look bright.

History of the Singkawang Grand Mosque

The Singkawang Mosque was founded in 1880 by two merchants, Bawasahib Maricar and Hajj. B. Achmad Maricar (Son of Mariawas Bawasahib). Basawahib Maricar was a trader from the Karikal District, Calcutta, India, who came to Indonesia in 1850 AD. His arrival later earned him the title of the Dutch East Indies government in 1875 as the Chief of India.

The Singkawang Grand Mosque was built on land owned by its founder, Bawasahib Maricar. This mosque had experienced a fire in 1937. Then the mosque was rebuilt and expanded in 1940, by three brothers namely, Haji B. Achmad Maricar, B. Mohammad Haniffa Maricar and B. Chalid Maricar. The three siblings are children of Kapitan Bawasahib Maricar. This mosque was built on free land which is a legacy from their parents, namely Kapitan Bawasahib Maricar. The tower on the left was built in 1953, the idea of ​​which was pioneered by three people namely H. Munir Haniffa, Djenawi Tahir, and Kassim Chalid.

On its way, the mosque has undergone several renovations (expansion) again. The first renovation was carried out in 1974 at the expense of the Regional Government. The second renovation was carried out in 1978 with self-help costs undertaken by the mosque management.

At present, the Singkawang Mosque has undergone a total renovation that took around 2.5 years. This total renovation had previously been planned since 1998. Due to limited funds, the plan had not yet been realized. Since the founding of Singkawang City in 2002, renovations have been carried out by the Singkawang City Government and the groundbreaking was carried out by the then Governor of West Kalimantan, Usman Djafar in 2007. However, the realization of the new implementation took place in January 2008.

Despite the renovation, there are some buildings that are still maintained. Like the small mosque dome is an old building and the large dome is the result of renovations in 2008. Then on the back side, there are 2 high towers which are renovations in 2008. Singkawang Mosque also retains one tower behind. While on the right side of the back of the mosque, there is a gold-colored monument that was built since 1880. This monument has a cube shape with a height of 3 meters and located in the middle there is a 5 meter diameter pool.

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