Istiqlal Mosque
The largest mosque in South-East Asia, with a cathedral opposite linked by a tunnel.
Duration
45 min – 1 hr 15 min
Best time
Mid-morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Istiqlal — Arabic for independence — opened in 1978 after seventeen years of building and holds more than two hundred thousand worshippers. The dome is forty-five metres across, a figure chosen for 1945, the year of Indonesian independence.
Sukarno insisted it face Jakarta's Catholic cathedral, and gave the commission to a Christian architect. The two buildings share their car park on major feast days, and an underground passage opened in 2024 now links them directly beneath the avenue.
Getting there
North of Merdeka square, opposite the cathedral. TransJakarta Juanda stop, five minutes' walk.
Rules on site
Closed to visitors during the five prayers and at Friday midday. Shoes off and legs covered for everyone; robes are lent free at the visitor desk.
