Parking lots and a row of humble food stalls line the alley that leads to the mosque, which is also proudly called the Kubah Emas (golden dome) Mosque.
Designed by architect Uke Setiawan, the mosque, which sits on an 8,000 square meter property, is the only tourist destination listed on the official website of Depok city.
It was built in 2001 and financed by a property and service businesswoman from Banten, Dian Juriah Maimun Al Rasyid, and her husband Maimun Al Rasyid, an oil businessman.
The tourist ambiance in Kubah Emas Mosque was even stronger than the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta, dubbed the largest mosque in Southeast Asia in terms of structure and capacity.
After passing the alley and approaching the beautiful building, visitors to Kubah Emas Mosque may be greeted by a number of men offering a picture service, which costs Rp20,000 per printed picture.
Some visitors do not only go to the mosque to pray but also to take in the design of its architecture, splendid crystal chandelier and shiny five domes that symbolize the Five Pillars of Islam.
These pillars are reportedly coated with 24-carat gold leaf.
Teenager Aulia Rahman who came from Bandung in West Java with his five friends, decided to use the photography service on offer.
"My friend was curious about the mosque so we decided to visit. We used GPS to find it as we have never visited," he said.
Source : Tempo
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