Masjid Perahu: Jakarta's Fantastic Ark Mosque

As capital of the largest Muslim nation, Jakarta is no stranger to towering minarets and calls for prayer echoing from glorious mosque buildings. But amid architectural feats and historical values reflected by many other mosques, this place of worship fascinates people for the quirky boat-like building.

Tucked in the middle of lofty apartment buildings near one of Jakarta’s most bustling business districts, finding this mosque can be quite a challenge. That makes this mind-boggling mosque one of Jakarta’s best-kept secrets; in a way it’s right there at the heart of the city, while also being out of sight. Intrigued visitors will have to walk along a narrow alley adorned with murals of Arabic inscriptions.

Walkway to Masjid Perahu, Jakarta, is adorned with murals of Arabic inscription

Another alleyway takes you from the main street through local dwellings. Fortunately, even though the path is not exactly straightforward, the locals are thoughtful enough to put up signs saying ‘ke mesjid’, which means ‘to the mosque’.

Oasis in the middle of the city

Around the Muslim’s five times of prayer, the charming mosque is swarmed with locals from nearby settlements and offices. Likewise, food vendors set camp around the building, offering midday snacks or cold drinks to beat the scorching afternoon.

Amid the lovely atmosphere, this mosque’s unmissable highlight remains the boat-shaped premises. Attached beside the main mosque building, this ‘boat’ serves as a place to conduct wudu, the compulsory washing ritual before prayers. The sides of the building has taps typical of a wudu place, where worshippers can queue to cleanse themselves before heading inside the mosque.

The peculiar architecture of Masjid Perahu

At first glance, the boat-shaped building may seem random. But the quirk is not without a thoughtful philosophical considerations.

This mosque was built as Masjid Agung Al Munada Darussalam Baiturrahman in 1962. The main mosque building and the boat part were built at the same time as part of the grand design. The boat was inspired by the story of Noah and his ark. The Holy Quran depicts the patriarch’s obedience and persistence trying to save the nation.

Masjid Perahu’s fascinating boat building

The reference to Noah’s Ark may not be obvious when seeing this mosque, as the boat is a more modern rendition and looks more like a medium-sized fishing boat. Nevertheless, the sentimentality and profound philosophy pertains: the mosque was built to accommodate the people around on their path to faith and divinity while protecting them from calamity.

Shifting the eyesight slightly to the right, the main prayer building doesn’t look nearly as eccentric as the boat. Quite the contrary, the mosque looks low-key and humble with a homey ambiance, topped with a brown tiered roof as the minaret. But the architectural and heritage elements housed by this building were actually on par with the special and unique boat.

Two of the four main pillars inside the building were gifts from the country’s first minister of Religious Affairs. At the front, the podium is embellished with exquisite carvings of verses from the Holy Book.

Moreover, the library area is home to a gigantic Holy Quran with a 2 x 1 meter dimension, inscribed through a span of 30 years by a calligrapher from Madura, Ustad Amir Hamzah. As if that is not impressive enough, the Quran is enhanced by 16 precious stones around it. Visitors can ask for the massive Quran to be opened and be mesmerised by the mystical and aesthetic beauty inside.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.