Demak Great Mosque
| Demak Great Mosque | |
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| ꦩꦱ꧀ꦗꦶꦢ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦢꦺꦩꦏ꧀ Masjid Agung Demak |
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Jalan Sultan Fatah, Bintoro Demak, Central Java, Indonesia |
| Geographic coordinates | 6°53′41″S 110°38′14″E / 6.8947°S 110.6373°ECoordinates: 6°53′41″S 110°38′14″E / 6.8947°S 110.6373°E |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Province | Central Java |
| Region | Demak |
| Administration | Demak government |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Sunan Kalijaga |
| Architectural style | Javanese |
| Completed | 1479 |
| Minaret(s) | None |
Masjid Agung Demak (or Demak Great Mosque) is one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia, located in the center town of Demak, Central Java Indonesia. The mosque is believed to be built by the Nine Muslim Saints (Wali Songo) with the most prominent figure Sunan Kalijaga, during the first Demak Sultanate ruler, Raden Patah during the 15th century.
Although it has had a number of renovations, it is thought to be largely in its original form. The mosque is a classic example of a traditional Javanese mosque. Unlike mosques in the Middle East it is built from timber. Rather than a dome, which did not appear on Indonesian mosques until the 19th century, the roof is tiered and supported by four saka guru teak pillars. The tiered roof shows many similarities with wooden religious structures from the Hindu-Buddhist civilizations of Java and Bali. The main entrance of Masjid Agung Demak consists of two doors carved with motifs of plants, vases, crowns and an animal head with an open wide-toothed mouth. It is said that picture depicts the manifested thunder caught by Ki Ageng Selo, hence their name “Lawang Bledheg” (the doors of thunder).
Like other mosques of its era, its orientation towards Mecca is only approximate.
Its walls contain Vietnamese ceramics. With their shapes derived from conventions of Javanese woodcarving and brickwork, they are thought to have been specially ordered. The use of ceramic rather than stone is thought to have been in imitation of the mosques of Persia.
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Wikipedia