Al-Baitul Amien Mosque
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| Al-Baitul Amien Mosque | |
|---|---|
Masjid Jami' Al-Baitul Amien | |
 View of the central dome, 2014 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni |
| Location | |
| Location | Jember, East Java, Indonesia |
 Interactive map of Al-Baitul Amien Mosque | |
| Coordinates | 8°10′6″S 113°42′2″E / 8.16833°S 113.70056°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Yaying Kaliefadi Kesser |
| Type | Mosque |
| Established | 1976 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | 7 |
| Minaret | 1 |
The Al-Baitul Amien Mosque (Indonesian: Masjid Jami' Al-Baitul Amien) is a mosque located near the alun-alun (town square) of Jember, East Java, Indonesia. The complex consists of two buildings, a colonial-era mosque erected before 1894 and a seven-domed design dedicated in 1976. The former is now used as a school. The latter, meanwhile, was designed by the Surabaya-based architect Yaying Kaliefadi Kesser and has been described as resembling the Parliamentary Complex in Jakarta. The seven-domed design is replete with references to various aspects of Islam, including the seven heavens, five pillars, and three elements of faith, submission, and creating beauty.
The Al-Baitul Amien Mosque is located in Jember, East Java, Indonesia,[1] with the street address 2 Sultan Agung Street, Jember Lor, Patrang.[2] It is located near the alun-alun (town square),[3] and fronted with a courtyard of hollow ceramic bricks.[4] The mosque has a capacity of 2,000–3,000 within the domes, with another 5,000 congregants able to be accommodated in the courtyard.[5]
The original mosque offered a combination of indigenous, European, and Arabic architecture.[1] The current mosque, situated to the north of the old mosque,[3] consists of seven interconnected domes, symbolizing the seven heavens of Islamic cosmology.[1] These domes cover almost the entirety of the rooms underneath,[6] and include a single five-sided minaret reaching 32.9 metres (108 ft) in height.[7] Due to the interlocking dome design, the mosque is popularly known as masjid keong ("snail mosque") among local residents.[4]
The central dome, which has a diameter of 34 metres (112 ft) and maximum height of 14.585 metres (47.85 ft), contains two storeys.[8] The second story is supported by seventeen pillars, each measuring 6 metres (20 ft) in height and approximately 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in circumference.[9] The number of pillars symbolizes both the date of Indonesian independence (17 August 1945) and one potential date for Muhammad's first revelation (17 Ramadan). The mihrab in this dome consists of three arches, symbolizing faith, submission, and creating beauty.[1] Over the main arch, Verse 14 of the Surah Ta-Ha is written, while the names of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad are written over the left and right arches. Around the dome, the Surah An-Nur is written.[4] Its floor is made of carrara marble from Italy.[1]
The next largest domes, to the left and right of the main dome, have a diameter of 20 metres (66 ft) and a maximum height of 8.43 metres (27.7 ft). The next largest domes, further to the left and right, have a diameter of 11 metres (36 ft) and a maximum height of 5.95 metres (19.5 ft). These four domes are also used for worship.[6] Together with the central dome, these five worship spaces are intended to symbolize the five mandatory prayers as well as the five pillars of Islam.[8] At the outside left and right are the two smallest domes, containing space for wudu (ablution). These domes are 8 metres (26 ft) in diameter and rise to a height of 4.22 metres (13.8 ft) [6] Water for ablution is taken from fountains lining the inside wall of the domes as well as a central pillar.[10]
