Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque

Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque stands in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and serves as a major centre of religious activity in the region. Our record gives its capacity as about 50,000 worshippers. The building has three floors; the first-floor walls are faced with ceramic, while the upper two use granite. Its design draws on the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, while the rectangular roof recalls local South Sulawesi forms, namely the Katangka Mosque in Gowa and the traditional Bugis-Makassar house. The mihrab wall is of black granite with copper calligraphy, and verse 144 of Surat al-Baqarah is inscribed above it. The minaret rises 84 metres. The mosque is used for daily prayer and for religious events.

Construction of the mosque began in 1994 and was completed in 1996. It was designed by the architect Ahmad Noeman, who had overseen the building of several other large mosques. The structure rests on 450 piles driven 21 metres deep.