Stained Glass Window at Bandung West Java Grand Mosque

Photo caption: The pattern of stained glass window of the West Java Grand Mosque in Bandung.

Carpet Rolling

Caption: A worker rolling the carpets at West Java Grand Mosque in Bandung.

To keep them clean, carpets in the West Java Grand Mosque at Asia-Africa Street are rolled in when they are not in use. They are rolled out again for Friday prayer or for halaqa (Quranic recitation and studies).

Waiting for Mid-day Prayer at Bandung Grand Mosque

Moslems are waiting for the zhuhur (mid-day prayer) to start at Masjid Agung Bandung (Bandung Grand Mosque).

After the latest renovation, which was completed on January 13, 2006, this is what the interior of the main hall of the mosque looks like. It is more spacious and looks brighter with sunlight coming from the windows around the base of the dome. The mihrab has also been remodeled. Now it has an arch that is typical of a mosque with golden Koranic verses inscriptions on it. Previously the mihrab did not have an Arabic-influenced arch like this one.

Skywatch: Bandung's November Sky

This is what Bandung's sky has been like this past week. It has either been rainy or heavily cloudy. The rainy season has set in and seems to be in full swing now.

The tower in the above photo, by the way, is the minaret of Bandung Grand Mosque (Mesjid Raya Bandung) at Asia Afrika Street. And oh, the baloon next to it is an advertising baloon. It advertises "PT. Pegadaian" - Indonesia's state-owned pawn shop.

To see other great skywatch photos from around the world, please click here.

Skywatch Friday Post: Bandung Grand Mosque Tower

This is the photo for my participation in the Skywatch Friday this week.

This photo is of one of the two towers of Masjid Agung Bandung (also called Masjid Raya Bandung Propinsi Jawa Barat) or Bandung Grand Mosque. This mosque is located on the West side of Alun-alun Bandung (Bandung City Square) on Asia Afrika Street.

Masjid Agung Bandung has a history as long as the city itself. According to historian Sobana Hardjasaputra of Padjadjaran University, the mosque was erected on September 25, 1810 (the date when the capital of Bandung Regency was relocated from Dayeuh Kolot [the old city] to the present location).

Over the years, the shape of the mosque have changed many times. The present shape is the result of the renovation conducted in 2001-2003.