Luar Batang Mosque, Islamic pilgrimage site in North Jakarta, Indonesia
Luar Batang is a mosque in northern Jakarta, not far from the old harbor of Sunda Kelapa. The building comprises two main halls, each supported by twelve columns and decorated with traditional ornaments.
The mosque was established in 1739 and houses the tomb of Habib Husein, a religious scholar from Hadhramaut. In 1827, the prayer direction was corrected after a scholar from Banjarmasin noticed the incorrect alignment toward Mecca.
The name refers to its location outside the old city walls, where fishermen and traders settled along the water. Visitors today see an active prayer space used daily by locals, furnished with hand-carved wooden columns.
Shoulders and knees should be covered when visiting, and women must wear a headscarf before entering the prayer rooms. The mosque is located in a densely built area near the harbor, so access may be through narrow lanes.
In the 19th century, it was discovered that the walls did not face Mecca, which required a full reorientation. This correction was made under the supervision of a scholar from Borneo who noticed the errors in the original construction.
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