Description of the attraction
The Sultan Suryansyakh Mosque is the oldest mosque in the South Kalimantan province. This province is located on the eponymous island of Kalimantan. It is worth noting the fact that this island is the third largest in the world. In addition, the island of Kalimantan is the only offshore island that is divided between three states: Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia. Most of the island is Indonesian with four provinces: West Kalimantan, East, South and Central.
The province of South Kalimantan, in which the ancient Sultan Suryansyakh mosque is located, consists of 11 districts and two city municipalities. The exact location of the mosque is the village of Quin Utara, which is located in Banjarmasin, the largest city and administrative center of the South Kalimantan province.
The mosque was built over 400 years ago, during the reign of Sultan Suryansiah (1526-1550), the first king of Banjarmasin to convert to Islam. The tomb of Sultan Suryansiach is located 500 meters from the mosque. The mosque is located near the site of the palace complex, Kampung Kraton, which, unfortunately, was destroyed when Indonesia was colonized by the Netherlands. The mosque was built in the national Banjar architectural style, which has the following feature: the mihrab (niche in the center of the mosque) has its own roof and is located separately from the main building. At the beginning of the 18th century, reconstruction works were carried out in the mosque. Inside the mosque, endless patterns and Arabic calligraphic inscriptions amaze the imagination.
