South Kalimantan: The Great Mosque of Sabilal Muhtadin

A. Brief Information

The Great Mosque of Sabilal Muhtadin was built in November 1974 and was finished in October 1979 on a 100.000 meters area of land. The body of the Mosque consists of the main building, 5.250 meters in width, with a 38 meters diameter dome and five towers. One of the five towers’ height is 45 meters, while the other four’s is only 21 meters.

The name ”Sabilal Muhtadin" was given as a respect to the great ulama (Islamic thinker), Syekh Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari (1710-1812 A.D), whose life was spent to deepen and develop Islam in South Kalimantan. The name Sabilal Muhtadin is the title of one of the books that Syekh Muhammad Arsyad Al Banjari wrote.


B. Distinctive Feature

The Great Mosque of Sabilal Muhtadin is the biggest mosque in South Kalimantan and able to accommodate 15.000 people; 7500 in the inside part, and 7500 in the outside part. The dome of the mosque has the diameter 38 meters. It was made of gold Inside the mosque, the wall is decorated with the calligraphy of the Koran verses, Asmaul Husna (names of Allah), and the name of four main caliphs in Islam. All calligraphies were made of black copper, so are the door, krawang and railing. All of them are made of copper with the relief based on the decoration that is common in South Kalimantan.

Tourists who visit the mosque can feel peaceful and calm, and also marvel from the beauty of the decoration which becomes the speciality of South Kalimantan.


C. Location

The Great Mosque of Sabilal Muhtadin is located in the middle of the city of Banjarmasin, in Jenderal Sudirman Street, Banjarmasin, not far from the Governor of South Kalimantan office.


D. Access

To get there, tourists can go by public transportation or private vehicle.


E. Tickets

Tourists can enter the building freely. No charge.



Source:www.wisatamelayu.com