Masjid Agung Batam

The Great Mosque of Batam or called Masjid Raya Batam (MRB) is a mosque located in Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia. The mosque has a dome with a unique shape that has a rectangular pyramid design or like a pyramid. The mosque is equipped with a 66 m high minaret. In addition to being a place of worship, this mosque is a tourist attraction.

LOCATION
The mosque is located on Engku Putri Street in Batam City. Batam Grand Mosque is located in Batam Center area which is the center of Batam city government. It faces the office of the Batam Island Development Authority or BIDA (Batam Industrial Development Authority). Strategically located next to the square or about 20 minutes from Hang Nadim Airport, it is not difficult to find this mosque.

ARCHITECTURE
The MRB complex stands on an area of 75,000 square meters, making it the largest mosque in Batam. MRB can accommodate 3500 worshipers. But if the mosque is full, then the courtyard and the outside of the mosque can also be used to accommodate worshipers with a capacity of up to 15,000 worshipers.
The mosque began construction in 1999, and was completed in 2001. The mosque was designed by the most famous architect in Indonesia, Achmad Noeman. Achmad has also designed the Salman Mosque of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Bandung.

FIVE DOME
This mosque has a dome with a unique shape that has a rectangular pyramid design or like a pyramid. The shape of an equilateral pyramid (sliced in three parts) was chosen with the consideration that the roof shape is suitable for a square building plan, has a perception of verticalism towards one point above as a symbol of the relationship between humans and God (habluminallah). While the three-part slice is a symbol of the journey of human life (as a servant of God) in three realms, namely the womb, the world, and the afterlife.

THE SPACE OF PRAYER
The prayer space is the main courtyard of the mosque, which due to topographical and architectural considerations is located higher than the entrance road. The prayer plaza is made as an expansion of the mosque space when the congregation exceeds capacity or during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha prayers which are usually held in the open field. In order to organize prayers in accordance with religious guidance, shaf lines are made that will direct worshipers to pray in a straight line facing the qibla. The width of the shaf is determined to be 120 cm. The plaza consists of two levels, namely the lower plaza and the upper plaza. This is to give visitors the opportunity to take a short break before going back up to the mosque.

In the lower prayer room there is a fountain pool that can also be used as a place for ablutions. In addition to the fountain pool and stairs are tubs of river stone plants, garden lights and rows of king palm trees. All of these elements are expected to make the prayer space more comfortable, beautiful and dignified as a mosque prayer plaza.

The prayer space is covered with red brick-colored terracotta clinker. The lines of the shaf use paving blocks that are patterned with gray so that they contrast with the red brick of the terracotta clinker.