Azizi Mosque, Royal mosque in Tanjung Pura, Indonesia
The Azizi Mosque is the royal mosque of the Langkat Sultanate in Tanjung Pura, North Sumatra, standing on a complex of about 3 hectares. Its main prayer hall measures roughly 25 by 25 metres and has three Mughal-style entrances on the north, south and east sides. The hall is topped by Mughal-style copper domes, the heaviest weighing about 36 tonnes, and its interior is mainly marble with Italian crystal chandeliers.
Construction began in 1889 on the order of Sultan Abdul Aziz, ruler of the Langkat Sultanate and son of Tengku Sultan Haji Musa al-Khalidy al-Muazhzham Syah. A German architect designed the mosque, and much of the labour was done by Chinese residents of Langkat. Materials shipped from Penang and Singapore came up the Batang Serangan river and were moved to the site by 80 ox-carts. Abdul Aziz died before the work was finished; his son Tengku Sultan Mahmud Rahmat Syah took over and the mosque was completed on 13 June 1902. A minaret was added in 1926, and the building was restored in 1978–1979, 1980–1981 and 1990–1991.
The mosque was designed by a German architect and built largely by Chinese residents of Langkat Regency, a mix of influences visible in its Mughal-styled copper domes and three Mughal entrances on the north, south and east sides. Its design later inspired the Zahir Mosque in Kedah, Malaysia. Several tombs of the Langkat royal family stand within the grounds.
The mosque stands on a complex of about 3 hectares, with the main prayer hall measuring roughly 25 by 25 metres. Entry is through three Mughal-styled doorways on the north, south and east sides. The royal tombs of the Langkat Sultanate lie within the same grounds, so allow time to walk the compound.
The mosque's design was later used as a model for the Zahir Mosque in Kedah, Malaysia. Construction materials arrived by ship from Penang and Singapore, were carried up the Batang Serangan river, and then moved to the site on 80 ox-carts.
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